Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The best documentary I've seen in years

If you have a free hour this evening, watch Frontline's documentary "Endgame" (its available for free on the website). It is quite possibly the most detailed and even-handed account of what went wrong in post-invasion Iraq I have ever seen. It really plumbs the depths of how the Bush administration's desire to play politics with the war and prioritize photo-ops over strategy sessions has created the quagmire we are in today.

On the flip-side, the documentary also makes an excellent case for supporting the "surge/escalation/bananaphone" being carried out by counterinsurgency and peacekeeping nerd Gen. David Petraeus. To be honest, I'm inclined to support the new counterinsurgency strategy if it means we might be setting the Iraqis on a future path that is not marred by violence. Its sad that the Bush administration has politicized the conduct of this way so much that writing what I writing the previous sentence leaves me with mixed feelings and a bad taste in my mouth.

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