A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY

I'm usually good at figuring out the obvious.

But as I watched the politically choreographed made-for-tv-campaign speech Mr. Bush gave to the nation aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln May 1st , I couldn't for the life of me figure out why that well-placed banner atop the carrier read "Mission Accomplished."

As Bush began delivering his usual, painfully predictable drivel of false national pride, I asked myself: "Why the banner?" My first notion was that the Administration must have wanted to steer away from the big "V" word, perhaps because of its blatant falsehood. But then I reminded myself that blatant untruths haven't stopped them in the past, so I reconsidered. Perhaps "Mission Accomplished" was there to convey just that: that this Administration, our troops, this nation, had been successful; that we had, in fact, accomplished our mission. But if this was the case, then what was the mission? And whose mission was it?

I'm not sure about you, but I remember quite well the Administration's espoused "missions" for war: 1) to locate and destroy weapons of mass destruction the Iraqi regime had amassed to save the world from danger 2) to locate and oust the dictator Saddam Hussein, either killing him or capturing him, thus bringing about regime change 3) and as a bonus, a special treat for all of our hard, brave work - liberate the Iraqi people.

So having recalled these missions, I became even more puzzled as to why Bush's folks would so brazenly display the banner for all the world to see. Because certainly it's obvious: no weapons of mass destruction have or will be found (unless the U.S. plants them); nor did the Iraqi government use any against the United States. So that mission wasn't accomplished. And certainly it's obvious: we didn't capture or kill Saddam Hussein, even after two failed attempts (though we did manage to kill a few dozen or more innocent Iraqis in the process). So that mission wasn't accomplished either. And I'm not sure about you, but it's pretty clear to me that the Iraqi civilians haven't been liberated - I mean, unless you consider being shot at and killed for protesting against the United States, liberation. Or having your collective history and rich culture destroyed in a matter of weeks, liberation. Or going without sufficient food, water or medical care, liberation. Or having an interim government imposed on you, liberation. So that mission, unfortunately, wasn't accomplished either.

Pretty pathetic scorecard, I thought. And with three strikes (in my book at least) you're usually out. But certainly if Karl Rove decided to parade the banner "Mission Accomplished," they had to have accomplished something. So as Mr. Bush dragged on with his insipid speech, I, too, continued to ponder. And then it hit me, as clear as day, or rather, as "black" as night: the oil! the Texas tea! the Bush-Cheney life-blood!

Like most of the civilized world (the United States not included) I've known all along Bush's real motive (call it a mission) for waging war against Iraq. With the PNAC and ruling neocons aside for this discussion (and granted, that's a big aside) let's face it, Bush waged war to acquire two things: control of the oil supply and a legacy his daddy didn't fulfill. It's as simple as that. So simple and obvious, in fact, that I won't bother substantiating the claim with proof (ie, Halliburton, The Carlyle Group, Bechtel, etc.).

So this, I surmised, must have been the whole "Mission Accomplished" thing. Yes, Mission Accomplished, Mr. Bush. Your forces gained control of the oil fields before Mr. Rumsfeld could say "Go!" And unlike all the precious museums in Iraq (not to mention innocent civilians), the ministry building overseeing oil production was protected with all the forces' might. So again, congratulations, Mr. President. The superpower of the world took out a third world country with a military a mere fraction of ours, and we did it in style. We kicked their ass, you got their oil, and I bet Daddy is damn proud.

But as Bush stumbled to a close, struggling even with three teleprompters there to guide him along in a speech he didn't write, I finally came to a conclusion about the meaning of the banner. Although they had accomplished it, I realized that the Administration would never be so honest as to admit their real mission: control of the oil, and more broadly, the beginning of a re-structuring of the Arab world (with the United States at the top). No, they'd never admit that this war was planned years ago by the PNAC before Bush was put into office by the Supreme Court, with some help from little brother Jeb. Nor would they admit that more wars are yet to come, that it's all part of the bigger plan. Even if they did admit it, the American people would never believe it. Not now.

But in this veritable made-for-tv movie scene there aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, the grand finale to an event destined to haunt our nation for years to come, the American people would believe it, every single lie our post war President was saying.

He (and Karl Rove) knew it.

More than any banner ever could, Mr. Bush's sly smirk and guileful wink at the end made it obvious: "Mission Accomplished!"

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY