The Alternative Hypothesis on Iraq Leads to the Original Hypothesis

Here we are. Fellow Earth travelers. We're not privy to what the real inside crowd knows, not to be confused with the pundits who think they're on the inside, 'cuz their salaries are excessive.

One hypothesis to explain the predicament we're in is that Bush is intentionally managing by chaos. No security, but the security we provide. Imagine if you were in charge of security; you decide what comes and goes. Not a bad situation, eh?

The alternative hypothesis is that Bush and Co. used the al Qaeda threat to gin up public consent for an illegal invasion, only to find out that the Shia majority, under democratic influences, has filled the vacuum, and they lean toward Iran, which naturally leans back, and both look at the US like, "OK, you can leave now, thank you very much." The US can't accept this; getting duped by Chalabi to take out Iran's arch enemy, Saddam, and then being asked to leave with all quiet on the Iraqi front.

This finds us with the US actually turning to the original enemy, the non-religious (AKA secular) Sunnis, AKA Bathists, to counter-balance the Shia. The situation has devolved beyond anyone's control. Nerdy experts postulate it's going to get worse before it gets better, or possibly spirals into an expanded conflict to who knows where.

Both hypotheses are correct. The first is part of the continuum. Bush unleashed the "Salvador Option" involving death squads on both sides, right around the time the Askariya mosque's golden dome was destroyed. It, coincidentally, coincided with a point in time that you'll even find the EM (establishment media) reporting on Sunni and Shia unification. The US turned to divide and conquer.

The sectarian conflict then grew, and once started, retribution set in to keep it going. Now, we are where we are. The trigger of infighting was pulled by the US, and lost to history long ago. We now live within the "after effects," a swirling mess of factions, sniping at the political level, US electoral politics and "life on the urban streets and in little villages" of people trying to survive, and taking sides, or not, as necessary.

I'm reminded that Bush is responsible for this mess, this "accumulated evil" that constitutes a crime against peace. He will be a scape goat for a broader break down of democracy.