Fuzzy Math

Something doesn't add up. The Bush administration plan is to send upwards of 21,000 more troops into Iraq, yet when Tony Blair says Britain is pulling out troops Cheney has his usual "I don't give a crap" attitude.

I think we can all agree that the ingredients in the "coalition" have always been principally USA, a cup or two of UK, and a few insignificant dashes of other countries for flavor. Nevertheless, the Bushies maintained that Iraq wasn't just our fight; the world had a stake in it, and "the willing" were gladly participating.

Let's do the dreary math. At the end of this year, if Bush and Cheney have their way, the United States troop level will be over 160,000 and all the rest of the "coalition" combined will amount to less than 6,500. That means, in very real terms, we will own over 96 percent of the war. 96% seems a lot more like conquest than multinational support.

It looks to me like we're the only clowns who are stilling "willing."