"We're Not Worthy"

Billmon at Whiskey Bar pours out yet another glass of spot-on analysis:

All in all, it reminds me of the old joke about the transition from communist to capitalism: It's easy to turn an aquarium into fish soup; much, much harder to turn the fish soup back into an aquarium. And it's particularly hard to do when the soup is kept boiling -- which is exactly what the U.S. military presence in Iraq is doing.

Billmon goes on to cite an interview in The Wall Street Journal of retired General William Odom, who sees what the neocons and even otherwise blunt critics of neocon policy like Anthony Zinni can't bear to look at: our failure. Odom thinks the US should, yes, try to engage "friendly" Arab governments, NATO, the UN, etc., but should also set a departure date and stick to it--regardless of the situation.

Sometimes you've gotta shut the burner off.