Iraq: English Only

Via Brad DeLong, Abu Muqawama offers one reason why US policy is now helping Maliki crush Sadr:

Why, some wonder, is the U.S. closer to the Iran-backed ISCI and Badr Brigades than it is with the Sadrites? Why does this make sense? Two Baghdad political veterans have ruefully pointed out to Abu Muqawama that while Sadr has more popular support, the ISCI crowd have something more valuable: they speak English. One former State Department veteran with whom Abu Muqawama spoke a few months ago pointed out that former Iraq honcho Meghan O’Sullivan was particularly vulnerable to falling under the sway of those politicians who didn’t just speak in that confusing gutteral language where they write from right to left in co-joined letters. Ergo: they speak English, so they must be our friends! Hoo-ray, democracy!

Surprised? Why? At one point, the neocons were all giddy that the new Iraqi government had adopted the supply-side philosophy of the Flat Tax. Being ruled by idiots is one thing – but allowing these idiots to have us go to war and get stuck in such a quagmire is just un-American.

Brad once again calls for Bush’s impeachment. Fellows? We should have listened to Brad years ago when it first called for this. Now – it’s a tad late.