Defeatocrats

Attempting to make sense of nonsense has been occupying my mind for several days ... ever since Senate Leader Harry Reid declared that "this war [in Iraq] is lost". In addition to those words being un-patriotic, even traitorous, they're factually incorrect. The war against Iraq was won in mere weeks with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government. The skirmishes continue, however, as Iraqis fight over who will have the most control of their new government, and while external provocateurs prosecute their own anti-US and anti-west agendas.

So why then is Senator Reid so invested in retreat and defeat?

It's often useful to view politicians through a cynical filter to devine their true motivations. One of, if not the most powerful influences of political behavior is also a driver of economics and society: self-interest. And one need look no further to understand Sen. Reid's rantings.

Since January, Senator Reid has been the leader of the Senate. This was, as we've now seen, but one unfortunate result of the national hissy-fit the Democrats instigated in the run-up to the 2006 elections. To remain Senate leader, with all the power and trappings, the Senate must remain in Democratic hands. There is no more important objective of Sen. Reid's than to see that the Democrats preserve, or expand, their current whisker-thin majority.

The Democrats in general, and Senator Reid in particular, have gone way out on a limb in predicting a US failure in Iraq. They were elected because of their infantile rantings and, to remain in power, they must be proven to have been correct.

If you recall, the entire election campaign of the left was based on how bad the Republican/Bush management of the war was, and not on any prescription for relief. The Democrats had no better ideas and, therefore, offered none. They had ample criticism for the Bush administration, but had no plan of their own. Oh sure, there were calls for a change of direction, more troops, less troops, "redeployment", etc. But the Dems couldn't even agree on what their different or better strategy would be as individuals, let alone as a party.

Senator Reid's words and actions of today are best explained by understanding that what he is doing is making a trade-off. His objective is the preservation of the Democratic majority and with it, his own power. For that he is willing to have the world view the US as having lost the war; to have the terrorists believe we lack the resolve to deal with them; and to subject the Iraqi people, and the citizens of the middle-east, to unimaginable fates.

You see, in Senator Reid's cynical mind, this is a no-lose situation. No matter how badly things go after a precipitous US exit from Iraq, he gets to blame President Bush. To boil it all down, US defeat is the best possible outcome for Senator Reid's personal future, and that of the Democrats at large.

I say they're Defeatocrats, and now you know why.