Bushlandia will expand again as the US’s collective amnesia about the horrors being committed in their name by their military continues without anyone seeming to lift a finger.
The silence of the mainstream media on the two largest conflicts the US has initiated thus far in the 21st century: the invasion of Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq is both deafening and quietly horrifying.
It is particularly sad to see that amnesia reflected in blogs where us citizens habituate.
It seems even those considered politically aware whatever their particular stripe, are content to let the horrors of 2006 pass uncommented and largely un-noticed.
A couple of MoA posters raised their voices about atroticities in Iraq or stupidity in Afghanistan but there was no response other than some ninny accusing an obviously dedicated and caring citizen who has actually observed the afghani situation, of ‘writing a book he/she hadn’t asked for. In other words the post was condemned not because it lacked veracity but because a reader found it tiresome. “Lets not talk of the real world. It kills my high”
A while back Malooga posited that there seemed an ‘outrage of the day’ air about these pages. As if people reacted to whatever was featured in the media that day in some sort of Pavlovian fashion then moved on to the next ‘issue’.
Is this one Rovian strategy that is both correct and effective?
All the loud voices protesting about Fallujah have receeded. At last!
Citizens can feel a bit less antagonistic toward each other while they debate who is the most depraved most/least likely ‘to get away with it’ in BushCo.
No bad thing if the same sort of calm had settled over Iraq and Afghanistan, sadly it hasn’t.
This BBC story suggests it is going to be difficult to ignore Afghanistan much longer:
‘Many dead’ in major Afghan clash
Southern Afghanistan has seen a fierce battle between as Taleban fighters and police, with officials saying more than 40 people were killed.

The fighting erupted in Helmand province where hundreds of British troops are leading security operations.
Violence also broke out earlier in Kandahar, leaving 18 militants and a female Canadian soldier dead.
The attacks came as Canada’s parliament narrowly voted to extend the country’s combat mission until 2009.
A suicide bomber also attacked a convoy of vehicles in the western city of Herat on Thursday, police said, killing himself and an American national.. . . . .
. . . . .Biggest attack
The fighting in Helmand began on Wednesday afternoon. A senior security official told the BBC that Taleban commanders contacted the police and taunted them that they had taken control of the town of Musa Qala.. . . .
. . . . . It was the biggest attack [in Helmand] since the fall of the Taleban,” provincial governor Amir Mohammad Akhundzada told Reuters news agency. . . .

To many that will hardly appear to be a story at all.
The comment by Amir Akhundzada should make discerning people concentrate a little.
Not only was this a particularly large and organised force, if anyone bothers to look at the map included in the BBC article, they will see that Helmand is pretty damned close to Mayor Karzai’s Kabul office.
Although the slaughter has continued unabated in Iraq and has been quietly cranking up in Afghanistan, Karl Rove’s ploy of getting the elephants to wear sunglasses has succeeded in deceiving the US citizens. He is doing just as he has planned. It is wise to remember that his new gig is to ensure the success of corrupt greedheads other than Dubya Bush.
Although the strategy has been thus far so successful that may yet change.
Much more of this complacency and there may still be some life in the dead duck.
This isn’t about whether repugs succeed.
It’s about whether the corporations profiting from the misery halfway round the world from their shareholders, succeeds.
If the slaughter continues to be a subject best not discussed in polite company, then nothing is surer than that the slaughter will continue and resources will segue out of the grasp of the former sentient beings into the grasp of the asshole greedheads.
Anyone who has made it this far without regarding this sitrep as a personal attack on their integrity would also be smart to consider that late spring thru summer is the time when those fighting for the freedom of Afghanistan and Iraq traditionally crank up operations.
The Straussians are well aware of this and will have a number of ploys to distract the citizenry.
Chief among which will be a sort of ‘business as usual’ line implying that when the sun gets hot these crazy muslim fundies get even madder and cause a bit of trouble ‘nothing that hasn’t been planned for’.
However if people who are genuinely oppossed to the slaughter speak out not before the issue has entered the public consciousness they is a better chance of them controlling the debate instead of just reacting to the greedhead provocation and deceit that will be pumped out by greed central if they initiate discussion.
The really telling issue one that could really put the kybosh on public support for the afghani intervention is whether the resistance is really all taliban or if they are just a continuance of the long line of fierce independence fighters who have been chasing out invaders for centuries.
If it is demonstrated that they are the latter, which the bulk of them in fact are, then the coalition of the whoring on terra will have less credibility than the Iraqi burglary.

Posted by: Anonymous | May 18 2006 9:44 utc | 3

Bushlandia?
Don’t you mean Cheneyville?

Posted by: Night Owl | May 18 2006 14:47 utc | 5

In fact, it is like Chomsky says of Bush’s Iraq war: the Americans are like the German elites reactions to Hitler’s war failures: criticizing the coaching techniques, calling for replacement of generals/players, but never abandoning/questioning the desire/intention for their team to “beat the other team”.
Regarding the low polling: The 71% are not questioning the overt goals of this administration, just the ineffective methods of achieving those overt goals. Meanwhile the covert goals are being achieved stupendously: mission accomplished!

Posted by: gylangirl | May 18 2006 15:39 utc | 7