Accelerating the Bomb

War Memorial in Lafayette, CA

Photo courtesy of Miss Bliss 55 on flickr.com

As we begin our ninth year of the “military action” mess in Afghanistan, I can’t help but think about the name given by the Bush administration to the unofficially declared war.

Remember?

Operation Enduring Freedom.

Wow. Those warlords must think that name as clever as George W. joking about looking for terrorists under white house furniture.

I remember wondering if people had gone crazy, supporting an oil family’s attack in the Middle East without a thorough explanation and plan. I wondered the same thing many times in the last eight years. After Congress had apparently sniffed some glue and behaved like unattended grade-schoolers chanting “Freedom Fries,” how could they make reasonable decisions in that frame of mind?

Now, looking back, I realize they were hiding in plain sight just how long they expected this “action” to last or, you know, endure.

The afternoon of the first attack on Afghanistan, Bush told us, “We are supported by the collective will of the world.”

And, “We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter; and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail. Thank you. May God continue to bless America.”

Well, we do not have world support. And experts are questioning our ability to “not fail.” And America’s blessing has been the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression over 70 years ago.

Bush also said, “Our military action is also designed to clear the way for sustained, comprehensive and relentless operations to drive them out and bring them to justice.”

That one word, “sustained,” really makes many more stomachs turn now. Enduring.

Tonight, rumor has it McDonnell Douglas was awarded a $51.9 million dollar contract to speed production of a bunker-busting bomb called a Massive Ordnance Penetrator. This is a 30,000 lbs. bomb designed to hit targets 200 feet underground. Reports are it’s a perfect bomb for use in Iran just as talk heats up on Iran aiding Afghanistan.

Accelerate the bomb.

How will those words sound eight years from tonight?