Appearances

It really is in the marketing. What looks good will sell. The team behind President Bush will be using all their tools as they continue America's futile struggle in Iraq. Their goal is to bury and entangle us so deeply in the desert soil that no newly elected president (whether Republican or Democrat) will easily be able to pull the plug on the project. With this in mind team Bush will pull off a Christmas card for the entire nation to enjoy. With the current volunteer military, the great majority of Americans do not have a vested interest in the war. When the holidays come around CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc. will have their cameras rolling at domestic bases as a minute amount of troops (perhaps up to 5,000 from the 160,000 now in the warzone) come home to cheers, hugs, and hero's welcome. The appearance of good will and love will overwhelm us and make it seem like the war is being won and many troops are now home. The cruel reality that 155,000 or so will still be in harm's way for at least another six to eight months will be lost as the media froths over the real and touching photo ops that will desensitize America to what is really going on. The Bush team is brilliant at distortion and their use of a token withdrawal designed to keep us at war will be a cynical Christmas gift.