Home-spun Mercenaries could kill free of penalty, thanks to U.S.-installed Democracy

I almost feel bad as a journalist when I don't have to even dig anymore to find our government being criminally stupid. I mean, Bush and co. are implicated on the front page of the New York Times.

With its international mandate in Iraq set to expire in 11 months, the Bush administration will insist that the government in Baghdad give the United States broad authority to conduct combat operations and guarantee civilian contractors specific legal protections from Iraqi law, according to administration and military officials.

...negotiations with the Iraqis, expected to begin next month, would also determine whether the American authority to conduct combat operations in the future would be unilateral, as it is now, or whether it would require consultation with the Iraqis or even Iraqi approval

Hey, remember when Dubya said he didn't want to make Irag in our own image, but allow them to decide for themselves? Well, now we're ratcheting up some legislation that would bypass your own country's military authority, as well as allowing the likes of private mercenary, Blackwater, to shoot at crowds of Iraqis and have legal immunity. Prime Minister (how quaint) Maliki will probably not be happy with that one.

Speaking of how we're spreading the rule of democracy in Iraq, lets consider how well Iraqis are being represented in their newfound republic. Three quarters of Iraqis would feel safer with U.S. and other foreign troops out, according to State Department polls. 65 percent of those Iraqis want us out immediately.

But just goes to show you how wonderful our democracies here and there are going. Bush and Co. say they have to make decisions that are often unpopular with the rest of the country. He knows best after all. And you can't trust those liberals at the State Department to skew public opinion to mirror their own ideologies...

...but seriously folks, I thought this was a republic, not a patriarchal system...

Iraqis likely are going to put up a tough fight over more U.S. military involvement, and freebies to Blackwater...

“These are going to be tough negotiations,” said one senior Bush administration official preparing for negotiations with the Iraqis. “They’re not supplicants.”

I say all this with all due respect to the U.S. troops over there who are working their asses off to help Iraqis with reconstruction. I read news of U.S. troops over there taking the place of the Shiite-led government in helping various ethnic Iraqis rebuild their businesses and utilities. I'm proud to say one of my close relatives is hoping to do good in Iraq.

However, I don't think the underlying tension between groups in Iraq is anything that can be "fixed" by us, even with the best intentions and efforts. Look at how it's gone so far...