Political Penguins

Has anyone heard any hootin' and hollerin' regarding the sharp decline in violence around Baghdad since the U.S. military surge implementation has been fully deployed? You are not likely too either. First of all there are still deaths on a regular basis, less now but still enough for those who always have a dark cloud over their head to point toward. Homicide is not so much different as a concept than what you will find in any big American city. Good news however, doesn’t serve the media agenda.

The main reason you won’t hear about the 53 percent drop in the civilian Iraqi death rate being shouted from the rooftops or posted in huge headlines is the desire held by many media outlets to influence events rather than to report them. American’s should be hearing loudly about this progress. In retrospect the media has done such a bad job of telling the truth with balance that for the second war in a lifetime, it has aided in placing the outcome in jeopardy. As if that were not enough, these video accomplices willingly have aided the liberals that control of congress.

On the other hand, the electronic and print communications mediums are double edged visual swords. Having already stuck their neck out by saying the troop surge was a failure, liberal Democrats, wavering moderates, a few conservatives, and much of the public at large has reinforced a biased image. This passive majority has created a bandwagon to the detriment of American troops in harms way. Among the big casualties is common sense. Should the Iraqi conflict turn extremely positive for the U.S., liberals and the media are on video and in print regarding their concrete positions. That tape and those articles condemning the U.S. for not “pulling out” could roll for eternity to create a backlash of political damage.

American military deaths were the lowest last month in more than a year. The decline in the rate is a four month trend coinciding with a surge in troop levels. The left wing should be concerned. Aside from the attacks on General Petraeus by political operatives on the Democrat side of the isle, the left has a vested interest in failure in Iraq. That wing of Congress however in its strategy has adopted a take no prisoner’s scorched earth policy. As long as they can attempt to damage conservative Republicans it matters not how much they distort the facts in order to assure their ascendancy back to power of the White House. They expect to control all branches of the government after 2008. The next few months will tell the tale if the Democrats have overextended their defeatist dovish nature, and left themselves open to the charge of weak on defense. That issue might turn the 2008 general election. A terrorist attack in this country before then would surely sink them because they only carry the olive branch and not the big stick required to defend a nation.

Unfortunately for both Democrats and Republicans both the President and penguins are more popular than congressmen of both parties together or singularly. All of the political hot air has disgusted Americans for nearly a generation and the wind of change is blowing. Both parties have demonstrated that their views are more important than the desires of the populace. That is not a good environment, if one studies the empires on the ash heap of history. If that wind of change blows hard enough from the planets coldest regions perhaps we could skate in some of the flightless birds instead of congressmen and senators. Penguins are always seemingly well dressed and they can’t do us more harm than the prevailing political charlatans. Best of all they are likely not to enact any laws. They are sort of like Libertarians. A moratorium on new laws is something we could put a hold on for the next generation without much consequence.

Both political parties should be on notice. The disagreement on the war is to be expected however, the rhetoric that displays a true lack of support for war and troops in the field is something for which American’s could rise up and squash. Until then those currently trusted with power in Washington should take note of the crescendo building toward a new citizenry battle cry; “The penguins are coming, the penguins are coming”. We can only imagine because such relief is as improbable as a penguin party landslide.