United States of Denial

Dubya has told another whopper.

Well, listen, we've never been "stay the course..."

Yes, he really did say that.

Another extraordinary segment:

BUSH: The fundamental question is: Are we on our way to achieving a goal, which is an Iraq that can defend itself, sustain itself and govern itself and be an ally in the war on terror in the heart of the Middle East?

STEPHANOPOULOS: But it seems like every month we're going farther from that.

BUSH: Well, I don't know why you would say that. I mean…

STEPHANOPOULOS: The casualties are going up.

BUSH: … if that's the definition of success or failure, the number of casualties, then you're right. But that's what the enemy knows. See, they try to define success or failure. I define success or failure as to whether or not the Iraqis will be able to defend themselves.

Even writing this seems entirely superfluous but wouldn't the casualty rate be a reasonable guide as to whether Iraqis are able to defend themselves? Not in Bush World apparently. Dead Iraqis are enemy propaganda, nothing more. I guess that's the way he and his cabal justify their continuing denial of the bloody consequences of the invasion of Iraq.

It's not just the Americans though. Major General Richard Shirreff, commander of UK forces in Basra, today said "there are signs we are beginning to see a tipping point where success breeds success".

It appears that the lunatics really are running our asylum.

Tags: News, Politics, Iraq, George Bush