David Brooks: Bush looks at option of "replacing" ENTIRE Iraqi government

[Human Torch]

What about all those purple fingers?
By: John Amato on Sunday, October 15th, 2006 at 12:10 AM - PDT



David Brooks has incredible access to the White House so when he said this shocker on "The Chris Matthews Show," I believed him. Bush is thinking about replacing the entire Iraq government. I kid you not.

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Matthews: David, do you believe the President is looking for an out from his doctrinaire policy of staying the course?

Brooks: Not really, no I don't. I think they're looking at policy options. One of those options is trying to replace the current government which seems to be doing nothing. The second option is some sort of federation which–Joe Biden has suggested as separating Iraq. A third option and by far the least likely is going in with more troops, So there's all different three options…We have much less control over Iraq than we did two or three years ago…

I guess all those elections didn't really matter after all.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/15/what-about-all-those-purple-fingers/

"The Replacer"

[babylonsister]

1. Between Brooks and dimson, I don't know who is more delusional. nt

[rodeodance]

4. hey, the WH is not pleased at all with the Iraqi gov. It is not a far fet

ched idea.

i am not talking overthow---but bit by bit replacement.

[aquart]

10. It's amusing that they still think they have control.

In a bitter, ugly way.

[buddysmellgood]

16. Yes, great idea. We'll do the same thing here.

[struggle4progress]

26. Brooks reliably shills for the Administration: I'd guess he gets some

"Word of the Week" heads-up bulletin from somebody about what to say.

"Democrats are hateful haters hating Bush" was one of his constant themes, designed in classical Rovian style to distract public memory from the constant and continuing Republican attacks on Clinton. "We have to be able to postpone elections in the case of terrorist attack" was another rightwing noise machine meme that Brooks dutifully pushed when it was the "Word of the Week."

If Brooks is offering "Bush replaces entire Iraqi government" as a "policy option" under serious consideration, then the most plausible conclusion is that this closely resembles the current "Word of the Week" message that the Administration wants promulgated.

[Donnachaidh]

2. err -- what happened to that democracy thing?

I thought the voting thing keeps Chimpenfuehrer from making a do-over?

[rodeodance]

5. it is just written a piece of paper

[Hugin]

7. Yeah, weren't they all waving purple fingers in our faces?

I thought it was a sovereign government in a sovereign nation.

Were those only talking points?!?!

Color me surprised. :eyes:

[WCGreen]

14. He'll send in the Queer Eyes Guys and do a real make over...

[bahrbearian]

3. Must be nice having the "Option" to replace Democratic leaders.

[C_U_L8R]

6. so we are gonna attack Iraq,,, again ???

this is definately madness

[Warren Stupidity]

9. Hmm... indeed.

What happens if the current Iraqi government doesn't want to be replaced? Do we stage a coup like we did in Saigon back in 1963 against the Diem regime?

[Human Torch]

11. Well, if we DO, there'll be fewer torture chambers and rape rooms...

...no, wait...on second thought, they INCREASED after we invaded. Never mind. I need to get my facts straight before I post, I guess.

Gotta admit, though, I'd really like to see a press conference with the ELECTED #1 guy in chains and Paul Bremer proclaiming in breathless tones "Ladies and Gentlemen...<<<<<<DRAMATIC PAUSE>>>>>>...we GOT him."

"What do you MEAN, YOU GOT ME? I was sitting in my office and you broke the DOOR down!"

:eyes:

[TankLV]

8. How very "nice" of him!

But we thought THE IRAQIS were in control of their own affairs!

They are a self-governing democracy we are constantly told!!!

Which is it?!?!

[bemildred]

12. That's it! Fire them all. Hire some new ones.

Make up a new org chart and send everyone a copy for review. Maybe we can work up a PowerPoint(tm) presentation for the press.

[Human Torch]

21. Been there, seen that, done it...

...wow. Did you hit the nail on the head or what?

The best part is that when I sat in those conference rooms and looked at the PowerPoint presentations and listened to the presenters drone on and on and on about how their project was going to be the one that revolutionized the company, most of us in the room knew that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell of it ever happening. We were expected to sit there and grin like jackals and applaud like trained seals.

When I worked at Cisco Systems, I'd say that 75% of my time as a project manager was spent in excruciatingly unproductive meetings.

The meetings were all politics. It's no surprise that Cisco CEO John Chambers is a major Bush booster. If the person giving the presentation was in favor among the management ranks and their project TANKED, they would MIRACULOUSLY be "needed" on a "higher priority project" and would be transfered to a new department, where the cycle of PowerPoint presentations would begin all over again. If they WERE NOT IN FAVOR, they'd be given a 30-day warning for non-performance and would ultimately be shown the door within 30 to 90 days.

Cisco also uses the L. Ron Hubbard Management Policies (there was a big stink about this a couple of years ago when a manager went on record as she sang the program's praises...check the link I provided). Essentially:

1). The top 5 percent of employees are the ones who hit their targets consistently. As long as they continue to do so, they are untouchable. It doesn't matter if they have the most repellent personality in the company and are universally hated. As long as they hit their targets, they are untouchable, unless they bring a gun to work or smoke crack in their cubicle. Even then who knows.

2). The bottom 5 percent, who are reviewed quarterly and give 30 days to shape up or ship out. The overwhelming majority are shipped out because of the extreme intimidation factor from management as well as peers. When people land in the bottom 5 percent they take on a definite "Dead Man Walking" aura.

3). Everybody else, the 90% in the middle. They are motivated by a mixture of fear ("Fail to perform and you go in the bottom 5 percent") and praise ("If you perform, you could end up in the top 5 percent"). Every quarter employees wet themselves as their managers go behind closed doors to play God. They must come up with enough names to fill the bottom 5 percent. EVERY quarter demands human sacrifices to fan the flames of fear in the survivors.

All of this adds an extra layer of "Survivor" throat-cutting and back-stabbing. Everyone wants a promotion, no one wants to be voted off the island, and the easiest way to climb the ladder in a company like Cisco is to use the dead bodies as stepping-stones.

One programmer from India (who contributed immeasurably to our department) had to make an emergency trip home to India to care for his seriously ill mother. He was told "if you leave, don't bother coming back." He left. When he returned he got a job at another company in Oakland. Within a year Cisco re-hired him.

:patriot:

[Cocoa]

13. regime change in Iraq

:rofl:

[Eurobabe]

15. Hopefully with himself!!

Get his sorry ass outta here.

[leesa]

17. So he's putting in new stooges once again? What happened to the

'blue fingers of democracy' if Bush can just keep replacing them at his whim?

[low_phreaq]

18. There's this other government with some do-nothings needing replacement

Let's see, now where was that? Oh that's right, it's HERE in the U.S.!

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
--The Declaration of Independence

It is our right...

It is out duty...

It is time...

November 7 we throw off from our government those who are doing nothing to guard our future security!

[DavidDvorkin]

19. We did this in Viet Nam

And so did the French before us.

It didn't help either foreign occupier, in the end.

[Supersedeas]

30. do the powdered faces in the Media need a history lesson?

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. You know you're a sovereign nation when...

The leader of another nation, thousands of miles away, can invalidate the election that he set up for you and replace your whole government because his own domestic popularity is sagging.

Whew! Thank goodness for all that freedom!

:eyes:

[derby378]

22. "I'm the Decider, and I decide what is right..."

Overheard in the White House at 4 in the morning:

"Woo-hoo! Skull and fucking Bones! From drilling dry holes for Arbusto to running the free world into the ground! Suck on it, Cindy Sheehan!"

Hey, I can dream...

[K8-EEE]

23. So Much For The Soveign Nation/Elections Facade

Actually that's been proven to be BS for a long time already.

[lpbk2713]

24. Katherine Harris should be available in a couple of weeks.

After she loses to Nelson.


She has a lot of good experience at nullifying elections and installing her own preferences.

[DaveT]

25. This is beautiful -- Shock and Awe II

You are all misunderstanding the nature of "reality" in the Bush Era. There is no need for an explanation of what happened to "democracy." All we need to do is point out how evil and currupt the Iraqi Government is -- cops killing children, no electricity or health services provided to the struggling people, oil production subverted by thieves and profiteers.

In Iraq we have a rogue government, a haven for terrorists and a truly failed state -- the perfect candidate for "Regime Change," a pristine test case for The Bush Doctrine.

So we invade Iraq and depose its evil government. First, the Cruise Missiles will fly and we'll see those great night vision shots of Baghdad being blown to hell. Then the troops march in to the Green Zone to arrest the evil bastards who are tyranizing the poor hapless Iraqi people.

We'll be greeted as liberators with flowers and candy tossed at our soldier's feet. You can see it on TV.

[Imagevision]

27. Bush to replace Iraqi government/ - if that don't work ? replace it again

[samsingh]

28. bush's version of Democracy?

[Jade Fox]

29. So much for Democracy. n/t