A Nod to William Carlos Williams

So much depends
upon

a new minted
general

glazed with false
hope

beside the dead
grunts

The whole four year blunder in Iraq now rest solely upon the shoulders of General Petraeus. Whenever a question about the war pops us, the President and his minions immediately invoke Petraeus's name and the report he is expected to deliver in September. It has become an habitual way of kicking the Administration's dilemma down the road and closer to the next Administration to solve. Petraeus's name may sound like a Greek god, or at least hero, but he is merely a man. No doubt he is more than an averagely competent strategist, but the Administration has shifted the whole blame for success (whatever that is) or failure (almost certain) from itself to this hapless general. He is set up for failure and maybe to become the fall guy for George Bush and the neocons. Sad.

We can wish General Petraeus luck, at the same time realizing that more than luck is required. We need a miracle, but none is in the offing.