Just to help offer a different perspective, here is a quick summary of the progression of the Iraq war from my perspective.
1. Bush tells me that Iraq is a dangerous enemy in league with the 9/11 terrorist group, and could be behind future acts of nuclear terrorism. I don't know about that, but the guy seems like he's on the ball when it comes to fighting terrorism, so me and a lot of the country go along with his plan.
2. Leading up to the actual invasion, Bush and the rest of his administration go into GREAT detail about how dangerous Saddam's Iraq is, and how EASY it will be to turn it from a terrorist supporting dictatorship into a pro-US democracy. It sounds a little weird, but Bush keeps reassuring us that the invasion and occupation will be quick and easy, and Iraqis will be shopping at the Gap and drinking Starbucks in no time flat...so me and a lot of other people still like the idea.
3. We invade, and as promised, that part of the war is quick and easy. Bush, with a great deal of ceremony, lands on an aircraft carrier, and with his flightsuit and codpiece, struts onto the deck to declare "Mission Accomplished". Saddam is out of power, and we're well on our way to disarming Iraq of WMDs and setting up a democracy. Yay!
4. The WMDs are proving elusive, and the Iraqis aren't exactly taking to democracy like we might have hoped. But it's just a little growing pains and Iraq will be all better in no time, and those WMDs are probably just in some bunker somewhere. We're mollified.
5. STILL no WMDs, and Iraq seems to be getting worse, not better. They're holding elections and transferring power, but the crucial ingredient of not killing each other seems to be missing. Some grumbling starts, and Republicans are quick on the offense, saying that WMDs weren't the main goal anyways, it was getting those terrorists, and that anybody who says otherwise hates America. As for peace in Iraq, it's just a matter of time...and stop bringing up how "quick and easy" Bush said this would be...do you hate America or something? Fox News viewers are relieved that we got the folks behind 9/11 (look up the polling if you think this is a joke), but the rest of us are getting a little concerned.
6. Obviously no WMDs were in the country, obviously no real links to Al-Qaeda, and that whole democracy thing seems to have hit a few roadblocks. But it's still important, say the Republicans, because it's the "central front in the global war on terror". Those of us that point out that it's only been that since we invaded are invited to move to France if we hate America so much. And those WMDs, well they weren't a big deal anyways, but we found some. Hah! Or at least Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly say so, and really, why would they lie? Many of us who initially supported the war are worried about the outcome of the disaster it has become, only to be reminded by Republicans that attitude is the most important thing...as long as we think positive, it's all going to work out. Quite frankly, this sounds like new-age hippie bullshit, but since the only alternative to faith-based war fighting is supporting the terrorists, what are we going to do?
To sum up, what this looks like from my side is an incompetent jackass totally fvcked things up, after assuring us that it was all well in hand, changed his story about why we had to be there (and then insulted our intelligence when we pointed that out), and he and his supporters seem firmly entrenched in their rosy belief that the REAL enemy we need to defeat to win in Iraq is the Democrats. Never mind those sectarian militias we can't seem to keep under control, never mind the astonishingly weak Iraqi government, never mind the toothless Iraqi police and military, the real thrust of our "surge" needs to be against people who aren't confident in the outcome of the war. I mean, geez, with how great it's going, how could ANYONE doubt its eventual success?!?
