Tuesday January 9, 2007 What are the benefits of doubt?

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's new plan for Iraq sounds a lot like his old one. Send in more troops, set goals for the Iraqi government and assure Americans it's better to wage war there than here.

The plan the president will outline to the nation Wednesday night is the latest repackaging of a program that's been wrapped and rewrapped many times.

But Bush advisers believe that Americans do not necessarily support an immediate withdrawal and might be willing to give the president the benefit of the doubt if he presents a feasible, detailed plan that points the way to an eventual U.S. drawdown.
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I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when they announced that there were weapons of mass destruction – and that was the reason for the war. WRONG!
I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when they said that we would be welcomed as liberators. WRONG!
I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when they said the hostilities were over and the mission was accomplished and there were less than 300 of our boys killed. WRONG!
I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when they said that we were fighting insurgents and terrorists in Iraq instead of here in the United States. (it wasn't a civil war) WRONG!
I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when we were looking forward to the Iraq election and then we would start withdrawal. WRONG!
I gave President Bush and his advisors the benefit of a doubt when they said that this war would cost only 50 Billion dollars, tops. The oil revenues would pay for the reconstruction. WRONG!

Now I doubt whether President Bush and his advisors know any solutions to any of the problems facing Iraq. They seem to be stuck in a rut (stay the course) and hoping that stubborness and sacrifice will eventually bring something that appears to be a victory.

Now I have nothing but doubt about any of President Bush and his advisors' plans for continuation of this damned war.

It has become a civil war, just like in Vietnam. They won't resolve their problems until we leave, just like in Vietnam.
The longer we stay, the more lives and dollars we will lose, just like in Vietnam.
We don't understand the people or their culture, just like in Vietnam.
We are trying to impose our culture and our beliefs and our way of living on another country, just like in Vietnam.

We won the liberation but we've lost the occupation.