SUPPOSE YOU WERE IN THE ARMY NOW?

Fights, rapes, gangsterism by our own troops can happen, and soon.

You were trained to fight. You've spent your time practicing day after day and month after month for combat. Now a bunch of civilians have stuck you in a 130 degree desert and told you to be a fucking cop while still dressed in forty to sixty pounds of gear, a hot combat helmet, and no shot at going home any time soon.

How would you feel?

Been there, done that. There is no way the grunt military won't be in open revolt soon. You just cannot treat combat troops like they are being treated and have them remain cohesive. They are paying for the dismal planning at the top. This an occupation that has been bad from day one. Get ready for tales of rape, drunken soldiers on rampages, fights, and whatever else bored and angry young guys do whey they are fed up with the civilians.

You can bet they are beginning to hate Rumsfeld and Powell. Then they will hate the Congress. And finally they will resent the President.

This is no way to treat a victorious army, but the suits in Washington have to cover their own asses regarding their pathetic lack of planning, which looks more and more like the proverbial "throw some shit against the wall and see what sticks", and what is sticking is what usually sticks in these cases; the ordinary GI who is getting fucked. Again.

I have been of the opinion for some time that morale problems in Iraq could cost Bush plenty. The problem is that the Democrats are so much worse. So much worse.