Andy asks pointedly when the War on Terror became a charade, and it’s a serious question. Maybe it happened when Bush proclaimed “Mission Accomplished.” I mean, once the commander-in-chief says the war is over, it’s hard to say to people, “no, not quite yet, it’s actually a Long War.” Maybe it happened when the White House, in the person of Steve Hadley, apologized for a true statement delivered by the president in a State of the Union Address. Once you’ve done that, it’s hard to say to people, “but look here, we’ve got it right this time.” Maybe it happened when the administration refused to force the release of intelligence on the chemical weapons found in Iraq. Maybe it happened when the administration told the military to shut up about all the evidence of Iranian involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq and Gaza.
Etcetera, etcetera. It became a charade when the administration bailed out, and left the stage open to Pierrot and his friends. I mean Pulcinella, sorry.