Mr. Lazy goes to Baghdad

The war in Iraq is not going well.\nBy now, most Americans agree with that statement. Almost everyone agrees that things could have been done differently from the beginning and need to be done differently now. However, what needs to be done remains a topic of debate.\nFirst, lawmakers need to stop taking vacations.\nThe New York Times recently reported that the Iraqi Parliament had adjourned for a summer recess, despite pleas from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the United States. \nThe lawmakers defended their decision to take off work for more than a month by saying that they had already cut their scheduled two-month break in half and increased their workweek from three to six days.\nWell, that is awfully thoughtful of them. American and Iraqi soldiers are dying in the streets every day, and Iraqi lawmakers have increased their workweek and cut their vacation time in half.\nI could call the Iraqi legislators lazy, but that would not be sufficient. I think “dangerously complacent” would be a more accurate way to describe them. They have to realize they are not always going to have American soldiers there to handle things. If they ever want their country to be anything more than a cesspool for terrorists, they need to get to work.\nSecond, U.S. leaders have to stop justifying Iraqi complacency.\nIn a now infamous remark to a reporter, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow commented in a rather pathetic way that it was 130 degrees in Baghdad. \nWell, this obviously makes it all better. I am so glad that American and Iraqi troops will also get to take the month off and rest from that intense heat.\nOh, wait. They are not getting the month off. They are going to continue working.\nIf the troops are not getting the month off, the lawmakers should not either. I mean, how difficult is it to sit in a room and discuss things? It is not like they have combat gear to lug around.\nThird, we need to start talking about troop withdrawal in a serious way.\nI know this might get my invitation to the conservative ball revoked, but I have come to the conclusion that some people simply need fires to be lit under their behinds to get them to do anything.\nI am not saying we should start setting specific dates, but we must make it clear to the Iraqis that we will not be there forever. At some point, they are going to have to stand up and take responsibility for their own country.\nIn the end, the U.S. cannot force the Iraqi government to do what needs to be done. We can give them the tools and advice, but if they cannot do something as simple as work through the summer, I do not think we can do much to help them.\nI hope I am wrong. God help us if I am right.