18 benchmarks

thisiswhatyouaregoingtodowithterror
The American government has set 18 benchmarks for Iraq. These are designed to determine how well the war in Babylon is going.
For the purposes of this blog, we are going to have a little fun. Lets imagine that a hostile power is occupying the United States today, and has set these 18 benchmarks up for us to achieve. How well would we be doing?
(i) Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the
constitutional review.
We are happy with our constitution, and see no need to review it. Amendments are very seldom enacted. Unsatisfactory.
(ii) Enacting and implementing legislation on de-Ba’athification reform.
In America, we have the Democrats and Republicans, which some believe to be two separate parties. Under the present plan, these two parties share power, and trash each other for the amusement of their followers. This opposition bashing distracts the voters from the real work of the Republicrats, which is the theft of our national resources.
Have we enacted legislation to run these criminals out of Washington? Of course not. Unsatisfactory.
(iii) Enacting and implementing legislation to ensure the equitable distribution of hydrocarbon resources to the people of Iraq without regard to the sect or ethnicity of recipients, and enacting and implementing legislation to ensure that the energy resources of Iraq benefit Sunni Arabs, Shi’a Arabs, Kurds, and other Iraqi citizens in an equitable manner.
In America, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting children. The gap between rich and poor is scandalous, and gets worse every day. Unsatisfactory.
(iv) Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions.
There has been a recent movement by some states to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The Federal government has fought this tooth and nail.
When states rights come into conflict with the Federal government, the feds win every time.
In 1861, the United States fought a brutal war of aggression against the Confederate States of America. This is the last time there was talk of an autonomous region in North America, and it was brutally suppressed. Unsatisfactory.
(v) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing an Independent High
Electoral Commission, provincial elections law, provincial council authorities, and a
date for provincial elections.
George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Al Gore, and yet was elected President because of a constitutional fluke. No effort has been made to correct this situation. Unsatisfactory.
(vi) Enacting and implementing legislation addressing amnesty.
Conservatives, led by talk radio shouted down a proposal for amnesty for illegal aliens with brutal force. These conservatives are demanding a big government solution to the problem. The problem of immigration is the result of a failure by the free market economy, and these "conservatives" are demanding a big government solution. Unsatisfactory.





doasisaynotasidowhatdidyouexpect
(vii) Enacting and implementing legislation establishing a strong militia
disarmament program to ensure that such security forces are accountable only to
the central government and loyal to the constitution of Iraq.
The second amendment to the constitution guarantees the right of a well regulated militia to exist. This amendment has been interpreted to mean that anyone who can afford a deadly weapon can own one. This "militia" is responsible for many thousands of handgun deaths every year. This "militia" is protected by our congress, which is dependent on gun owners for bribes campaign contributions. Unsatisfactory
(viii) Establishing supporting political, media, economic, and services committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan.
Our political/media alliance is highly supportive of the military. Satisfactory.
(ix) Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad
operations.
This benchmark does not have an equivalent in The United States.
(x) Providing Iraqi commanders with all authorities to execute this plan and to make tactical and operational decisions in consultation with U.S. Commanders
without political intervention to include the authority to pursue all extremists
including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias.
This benchmark does not have an equivalent in The United States.
(xi) Ensuring that Iraqi Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the law.
Some in The United States say that African Americans are much more likely to get pulled over by police cars. Statistics repeatedly show this to be true. Unsatisfactory.
(xii) Ensuring that, as Prime Minister Maliki was quoted by President Bush as
saying, “the Baghdad Security Plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws,
regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation.”
President Bush recently commuted the sentence of Scooter Libby. He was convicted of perjury, but was excused from doing time in prison. Mr. Libby is a political affiliate of Mr. Bush. Unsatisfactory.




weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident
(xiii) Reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq and eliminating militia control of local security.
Despite lower levels of crime, many parts of the United States are under the de facto control of well armed gangs. Unsatisfactory.
(xiv) Establishing all of the planned joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad.
Many neighborhoods in Urban Areas of the United States do not have adequate police presence. In many of these neighborhoods, the police are seen as the enemy. Unsatisfactory
(xv) Increasing the number of Iraqi security forces units capable of operating independently.
Many Police departments are short of personnel. Unsatisfactory
(xvi) Ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected.
Minority Political Parties in the United States are a joke. The Republicrats control everything. Unsatisfactory.
(xvii) Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction
projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.
Look at the progress made in New Orleans after Katrina. Unsatisfactory.
(xviii) Ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the ISF.
Members of the military continue to be discharges as a result of "don't ask don't tell". Unsatisfactory

How does the score stack up? 15 Unsatisfactory, one satisfactory, two do not apply.
The above is an exercise is trouble making by a blogger with too much free time (redundancy alert). Still, one wonders how we can expect an Iraqi government, recovering from a brutal invasion by a much stronger army, to fulfill these benchmarks that our own country cannot fulfill.