$20 million set aside for public celebration of victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Snowguy716]

Money was set aside last year in a defense appropriation bill to have a celebration in Washington to celebrate victories in Iraq and Afghanistan and also for celebrations nationwide. Since that money obviously was not used, it has been rolled over to this year.

Somebody already said this:

What can it cost?

A few kegs of light beer: $200

Parade floats: $2000

Soldiers missing limbs and the 4 remaining grunts that aren't already over there: Free

A few marching bands from local high schools: Free

And?

Security, provided by Halliburton: $19.999 million.

This is so ridiculous. First of all... victory? What, exactly, is victory? "Stand down when they stand up?" Yeah... we will emerge victorious from a plan like that. Who ever thought 6 words could describe our morale for victory.

What do you all think about this? Public funding to talk up the war and the president and his party?

[nowensone]

They had better roll that money into something, and quickly. If it's set aside for much longer, or even worse, actually used for it's intended purpose, then we really know this has all been a charade, and that Bush is really a Democrat in disguise whose goal has been to destroy the Republican party. The most intellectually challenged of our citizens would be able to see such a celebration as moronic (at a minimum). I wonder though, is this money for a victory celebration, or some form of "Welcome home, thank you for serving" event for our soldiers? Now that would be a little different.

[Pillsbury]

Did we hold a public celebration for the first Gulf War soldiers?

[monsoon]

What victory? 26 more Americans have been killed in Iraq in the last 4 days.

In any case, it just another example of how corrupt this Administration and the GOP leadership that supports it has become.

[nowensone]

What victory? 26 more Americans have been killed in Iraq in the last 4 days.

In any case, it just another example of how corrupt this Administration and the GOP leadership that supports it has become.

"Victory" was used here in the thread as well as several news stories, I wasn't convinved this was the actual language used in the congressional spending bill, so rechecked, the phrase, among others is "commemoration of success", so yep, I guess they were anticipating victory (in so many words) and if they have end up having this then, well, I don't even know how to describe how dumb that would be. But in the end the Pres. can use it as a way to "designate a day of celebration to honor troops serving in the two wars", so under that interpretation is not so wildly out of touch with reality.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/ap_on_...jRtBHNlYwMxNjk5

[ironchapman]

Money was set aside last year in a defense appropriation bill to have a celebration in Washington to celebrate victories in Iraq and Afghanistan and also for celebrations nationwide. Since that money obviously was not used, it has been rolled over to this year.

Somebody already said this:

What can it cost?

A few kegs of light beer: $200

Parade floats: $2000

Soldiers missing limbs and the 4 remaining grunts that aren't already over there: Free

A few marching bands from local high schools: Free

And?

Security, provided by Halliburton: $19.999 million.

This is so ridiculous. First of all... victory? What, exactly, is victory? "Stand down when they stand up?" Yeah... we will emerge victorious from a plan like that. Who ever thought 6 words could describe our morale for victory.

What do you all think about this? Public funding to talk up the war and the president and his party?

A national celebration to drum up support for a war doesn't sound particularly odd, but I think this idea needs to be "killed".

If they want a celebration, get the people to raise money and organize it like one would a political rally for a certain candidate.

On a side note, The National Strategy for Victory in Iraq can be found here.

[monsoon]

.....On a side note, The National Strategy for Victory in Iraq can be found here.

It's not even a particularly good piece of propaganda because nobody but rubes and zeoliots believes there is any chance in hell that any of this is going to happen. Just today, they started destaffing the Iraqi National Police, because large numbers of that police force have been participating in death squads.

I recommend that you go and watch "Triumph of Will" by Leni Riefenstahl. Now that one, which is considered one of the best pieces of propagand ever produced, drummed up a huge amount of support for war.

[Jerseyman4]

Your tax dollars at work

[ironchapman]

It's not even a particularly good piece of propaganda because nobody but rubes and zeoliots believes there is any chance in hell that any of this is going to happen. Just today, they started destaffing the Iraqi National Police, because large numbers of that police force have been participating in death squads.

First of all, if I may, what exactly qualifies the link I posted as propaganda? People here are asking what the definition of victory in Iraq, so I go straight to the government's website to pick up the definition of victory as defined by the man who started this war and it's still not good enough.

I'm not too surprised about the news on the Iraqi police force. It's a mess.

However, did anyone know that the Iraqi Air Force as well as the Iraqi Army are gaining more and more control over themselves and Iraq?

[NcSc74]

Money was set aside last year in a defense appropriation bill to have a celebration in Washington to celebrate victories in Iraq and Afghanistan and also for celebrations nationwide. Since that money obviously was not used, it has been rolled over to this year.

Somebody already said this:

What can it cost?

A few kegs of light beer: $200

Parade floats: $2000

Soldiers missing limbs and the 4 remaining grunts that aren't already over there: Free

A few marching bands from local high schools: Free

And?

Security, provided by Halliburton: $19.999 million.

This is so ridiculous. First of all... victory? What, exactly, is victory? "Stand down when they stand up?" Yeah... we will emerge victorious from a plan like that. Who ever thought 6 words could describe our morale for victory.

What do you all think about this? Public funding to talk up the war and the president and his party?

How about rolling that money back in to the VA hospitals and veteran benefits. It kills me to see every time a president wants to save money or need to drum up some money the VA is the firtst on the list to get cut.

[monsoon]

However, did anyone know that the Iraqi Air Force as well as the Iraqi Army are gaining more and more control over themselves and Iraq?

The role of the military is to defend a county, not be a police force. Unless Iraq is going to become a military state, then this is fairly irrelevant as they have no role in what is happening in Iraq. The failure of the police force means that Bush is failing at the very propaganda he has posted.

BTW, propaganda is the hallmark of governments and the United States is no exception. Forgetting that Bush released this document 2.5 years after starting the war in the first place, the NSIV has pretty much been dismissed because it "no measurable goals, no accountability, and no conditions". i.e. propaganda.

Case in point, the failure of the Iraqi Police. Oh well no worries, it isn't in the NSIV so we don't have to worry about it. A real document for victory would say something like, by the end of 2005 we will have x number of police on the beat. Get back to me when Bush releases something like that.

[bmorescottamanda]

How about they give that money to the people that lost someone in the Iraq and Afghanistan war.