E. Pluribus Dumb

It is a neocon mistake to charge our warfighters with building an Iraqi
national consensus. Iraqis must decide for themselves if they want to live in
a unified, pluralistic, and peaceful Iraq.

No amount of American military might can compel that result
--Bob Inglis (R-SC)


I'm going down in Louisiana, honey, behind the sun
Well, you know I just found out my troubles just begun
--Louisiana Blues, Muddy Waters

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In a recent interview with a Wall Street Journal reporter, GWB addressed the immigration issue, enlisting one of his sparkling neologisms in the process.

''I think people worry that this. . .will create two Americas. E Pluribus Duum,'' quoth the Prez (Latin Lessons.)

What he fails to recognize is that we already have a riven union, drawn upon economic and racial lines, for starters.

Consider New Orleans, almost two years following Hurricane Katrina:

''The federal government is in the midst of an unprecedented intervention into the daily operation of the local criminal justice system here, adding more than 40 agents and prosecutors to regain some basic daily operations lost to Hurricane Katrina nearly two years ago.

''The effort comes as the city's violent crime increased 107% the first quarter of this year over the same time in 2006.''

''The citizens of this city desperately need protection, said James Letten, U. S. attorney for New Orleans (Feds Target Violent Crime in New Orleans.)''

Not Baghdad, dear readers, an American city, in desperate need of protection. And Army assets are not currently available to our citizens homeside.

What the article fails to note is that U.S. assets continue to fight a wasteful, pig-headed war to secure cities in a sandbox nation, while we ignore the plight and blight of U.S. inner cities. New Orleans is not alone in needing federal intervention.

The U.S. government's policies are reminiscent of those of the hypocritical missionaries who travel far and wide proselytizing for acolytes under cover of do-good projects, ignoring the needy in their own backyards.

Iraq and Afghanistan occupy the center ring in this circus. What goes on in the smaller rings is out of the spotlight. Surely the administration is aware that Louisiana has oil reserves, too.

by Jim and Lisa