The Simple Truth

Having plumped up somewhat during the last 12 months, I am recommitting to my morning walks from downtown Oakland, past beautiful Lake Merritt and on home. The natural beauty of things never being enough for a thinking man, I listen to my radio as I walk: to Michael Krassny and Forum at FM-88.5, to Gary Radnich at AM-680 (so much for being a thinking man).

This morning I heard a caller lay it out in front of the Forum panel of experts, the Iraq "must winners," just as I've been thinking it. If we "must win" in Iraq, our course is simple: war taxes, industry on a wartime footing, general conscription and a promise to our boys and girls in Iraq that if they can keep the wagons circled for the next year, help is on the way, troops by the hundreds of thousands and sand-ready killing machines as far as the eye can see.

Won't happen, the must winners said. Can't happen. American people would shit (if I may paraphrase).

Which means the latest Bush proposal isn't even pretty smoke and mirrors. It's grit and broken glass.