Juan Cole: "He (Bush) is not Iraq's Brownie. He is Iraq's Katrina itself."

[laststeamtrain]

<snip>

War turns Republics into dictatorships. The logic is actually quite simple. The Constitution says that the Congress is responsible for declaring war. But in 2002 Congress turned that responsibility over to Bush, gutting the constitution and allowing the American Right to start referring to him not as president but as 'commander in chief' (that is a function of the civilian presidency, not a title.)

Now Bush has now turned over the decision-making about the course of the Iraq War to Gen. David Petraeus.

So Congress abdicated to Bush. Bush has abdicated to the generals in the field.

That is not a Republic. That is a military dictatorship achieved not by coup but by moral laziness.

Ironically, what officers like Petraeus need from Bush is not deference but vigorous leadership in the political realm. Bush needs to intervene to work for political reconciliation in Iraq if Petraeus's military achievements are to bear fruit. But Bush seems incapable of actually conducting policy, as opposed to starting wars. Bush happened to Iraq just as he happened to New Orleans. He cannot do the hard work of patiently addressing disasters and ameliorating them. He just wants to set people to fighting. Crush the Sadr Movement, perhaps the most popular political movement in Iraq? He's all for it. Risk provoking a wider conflagration in the Middle East by worsening relations with Iran? Sounds like a great idea to him. Bush campaigned on being a 'uniter not a divider' in 2000. In fact, he is the ultimate Divider, and leaves burning buildings, millions of refugees, and hundreds of thousands of cadavers in his wake. He is not Iraq's Brownie. He is Iraq's Katrina itself.

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http://www.juancole.com/2008/04/bush-abdicates-to-generals-on-iraq-10.html

[laststeamtrain]

1. .

[kenny blankenship]

2. Congress really did surrender its powers to Bush, but Bush has not really abdicated to Petraeus

Petraeus can do only what Bush will allow. In fact it's within Bush's power to demand Petraeus' immediate resignation. When Bush says something like 'Mah Generals is in charge of Iraq', that is a dodge, which allows him to hide his own decisions behind the General's apron. The first abdication was real and well nigh irrevocable. The second one is just phony.