Divorced from reality

It's almost pathetic - you almost have to feel sorry for them. I'm talking about Bill Kristol and Rich Lowry. They realize that their great misadventure in Iraq is rapidly being lost. That's where their connection with reality ends. Their solution, Send more troops, Reinforce Baghdad.

We are at a crucial moment in Iraq. Supporters of the war, like us, have in the past differed over tactics. But at this urgent pass, there can be no doubt that we need to stop the downward slide in Iraq by securing Baghdad.

There is no mystery as to what can make the crucial difference in the battle of Baghdad: American troops. A few thousand U.S. troops have already been transferred to Baghdad from elsewhere in Iraq. Where more U.S. troops have been deployed, the situation has gotten better. Those neighborhoods intensively patrolled by Americans are safer and more secure. But it is by no means clear that overall troop numbers in Baghdad are enough to do the job. And it is clear that stripping troops from other fronts risks progress elsewhere in the country.

The bottom line is this: More U.S. troops in Iraq would improve our chances of winning a decisive battle at a decisive moment. This means the ability to succeed in Iraq is, to some significant degree, within our control. The president should therefore order a substantial surge in overall troop levels in Iraq, with the additional forces focused on securing Baghdad.

Yes they are divorced from both the political and practical realities. The practical reality is there are no more troops. The military is thin and worn out. One sentence shows us they have no grasp of the political realities.

If American troops hand neighborhoods over to Iraqis, they are likely to soon deteriorate again -- in the same dynamic we have repeatedly seen of trouble spots being brought under control by American troops only to slide back again when the Americans leave.

It sounds to me like they are saying the Americans will have to stay there for ever. That's not going to go over really well with the 60+ percent of the people who have already soured on the war.

With the Bush/Cheney cabal in power the neocons like Kristol and Lowry had there way with the United States and the world. The problem is that it's not turned out very well. Anyone who pays attention can see that their ideology is flawed and dangerous. No Bill and Rich, there won't be more troops and your great Mesopotamian adventure is lost.