While Jim Borgman hints that Garry Trudeau ought to win the Nobel Prize this year, a columnist in the Hamilton Spectator argues that the neo-conservative new line that our failure in Iraq is the Iraqis fault is pervasive that it’s now found itself in Doonesbury.
As the people who talked the United States into the Iraq war try to talk their way out of the blame for the mess they made, one dominant theme has emerged:
Blame the Iraqis.
…
So fast is the myth taking root in America, however, that it has now even infected that icon of liberal irony, the Doonesbury comic strip.
…
The strip runs daily in 1,400 newspapers around the world, and often serves as the vehicle for political or social commentary from a liberal perspective. It never supported the invasion of Iraq, but Monday’s strip was a classic exercise in stereotyping and blame-shifting.
…
The strip the weekend before last was even more blatant in blaming the failure on the Iraqis. An American soldier gets behind the wheel of a Humvee and says “Ready to do this, partner?” to the same Iraqi officer, sitting beside him in the front seat. But the Iraqi officer is asleep.
As they approach the target house, the Iraqi officer, now awake, says: “I know this house. The owner is Sunni scum.” “Well, intel wants us to capture the guy alive,” says the American. “That will not be possible. I am sworn to revenge,” replies the Iraqi.
“Why,” asks the American. “What’d he ever do to you?”
“A member of his family killed a member of mine,” replies the Iraqi officer.
“What? When did this happen?” asks the shocked American.
“1387,” replies the Iraqi officer. “What is the matter with you people?” screams the American.
Note that this whole week, Garry has been poking fun at the Iraqi army and how they’re not picking up the slack. See Mon, Tue, Wed.