Meaning of Zarqawi's death?

[yurbud]

When I heard Bush's announcement of Zarqawi's death, I didn't hear the shit-eating hubris in his voice that usually accompanies Karl's best work.

I'm wondering what the subtext is here.

[godhatesrepublicans]

1. He lost his boogeyman to a lucky bombing run.

I give it a week before another random person is elevated to "evil mastermind" by Bushco. (Gee, I hope it's not me...)

[yurbud]

2. but they'd give you a nice condo in Riyadh....

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. The troops?

What does this have to do with the troops?

Nothing. That's what.

[originalpckelly]

12. Why would it be wrong to support our troops around here?

We appreciate what these guys did. I don't know why you suppose we don't support the troops? Actually, I know why you might say something like that, but I don't really want to say it.

[smoogatz]

Nope. Absolutely not. We all HATE the troops.

Is that what you wanted to hear?

[jsamuel]

14. I'll be glad for the troops when they are back home, safe.

The truth is that the situation on the ground will continue with or without this man being alive. The insurgents are not and have never been very well organized and don't need or have a leader.

[yurbud]

16. I'm glad for them, and glad they did the job, but it won't make their

life easier just like the capture of Saddam, handover of sovereignty, or the various elections.

At each of those, I thought there was a chance that would calm things down at least for a while and give our troops a break. The only one who got a break was Bush in the polls for a few days.

In this case, since the military psy ops said they inflated Zarqawi's role, and Israeli and Saudi studies of debriefings of foreign fighters show that al Qaeda is a minor player in Iraq at best, I didn't even feel that moment of hope.

In fact, I had the troops option in there because I think the vast majority of the troops want to do good over there, and Zarqawi has been used as an excuse to kill a lot of Iraqis thereby inflaming the insurgency and attacks on our troops. Shutting down Bush propaganda operations over there is probably one of the best things they can do to stay alive.

Probably second would be disarming any mercenaries Bush sent over there, and kicking out the crony contractors and giving their equipment and jobs to Iraqis.

Actually, all that stuff is a distant second to just leaving, which poll after poll of Iraqis show they want us to do.

I was in the service, a lot of the people I grew up with were in the service, and a lot of my students are or will be now.

I don't want these guys to die so Bush's friends can line their pockets.

[godhatesrepublicans]

21. Killing 1 guy won't help our troops. Bringing them home will.

[corkhead]

4. Other: this was the Chimperor's "Emmanuel Goldstein" two minutes of fame

[smoogatz]

6. Bush to appear on national TV wearing codpiece, with Zarqawi's head

on platter formerly used to hold plastic turkey. AF Colonel who ordered bombing run based on Iraqi intel quietly busted down to latrine inspector.

[yurbud]

8. thought you were going to say head WAS the codpiece

[smoogatz]

13. In Bush's case, the two are interchangeable.

[yurbud]

18. usually, Jeff Gannon occupies that position

[Swede]

7. Other: Iraq just got the devil they don't know.

What kind of fanatic was chewing at the bit to be number one?

[SteppingRazor]

9. Other: As with other recent appearances...

Bush has been trying to dial down the cowboy cockiness in favor of a stoic statesman image -- hence his second-guessing of words like "Bring'em on" and "Dead or Alive."

No doubt the arrogant, cocky image had not been playing well in recent focus groups.

[mandyky]

10. Other - this is the 4th or 5th time

"we got him". So, I am skeptical and unimpressed. Something big must be in the offing....

[benddem]

11. Just; like I said to

a wingnut acquaintance when he thought capturing Saddam Hussein was a "Christmas present." "Don't mean nothing." Vietnam vets will recognize this a phrase we frequently employed about everything. "Bat Squeeze" as Mike Malloy would say. Does anyone know where this Malloy saying came from?

[maddiejoan]

15. Radio speak

for Bullshit

[benddem]

19. thanks n/t

[Imperialism Inc.]

17. Zarq-who?

:boring:

[madmunchie]

20. Other: Just another step in the campaign to help Bush's poll numbers

This will be a long campaign towards November. This was just another of many steps to come for helping the November elections for the RWers. This isn't THE NEWS just one of the items on a long list of keeping control in Washington.