Dear Nephew,

Saturday was cold and windy but Abe and I walked down to Hank’s store anyway to get our mail. Met Sarah, the school nurse, there too, She was with Eben. Remember, he taught your AP history class. Well, we got to talking about the mess in Iraq and the administration’s lack of any apparent plan.

But Eben, with a twinkle in his eyes, as usual, took exception. He says there really was a plan. And it whetted the planners’ appetites so much, no alternative was considered.

Now Eben’s well read and no dummy, and he often has an interesting take on matters, so we settled round the stove for him to explain this one.

Eben said the plan was sort of like the homey autumn window dressings Hank puts up in his storefront for the tourists. Show’s them what they think this place is like, draws them in to buy his tourist goods, and he walks off with a bundle of cash. But the tourists never learn if they’ve been had or what really goes on here in town.

“You see,” Eben said, “like Hank’s storefront, this war was dressed up as a political win-win for all concerned - for Iraq’s well-being, for Western security, for America as defender of liberty.”

“And,” I inserted, “it didn’t take long for that bill of goods to become pretty shabby. What with insurrections, kidnappings, torturings – Lord those pictures – and no WMD’s, I shiver to think what Bush really means when he chants “stay the course.”

“But,” Eben went on, “if I’m right, there’s other reasons they want to stay their course. Just like those tourists who don’t know what really goes on, no one knows what went on behind the scene at Cheney’s energy meetings way before the war. It wouldn’t be the first time a bunch of Western businessmen dreamt up a scheme to grab mid-east wealth and fronted a phony excuse. Think of the wealth to be got from the oil and reconstruction, especially if you keep foreign competition out.”

“Land sakes,” Sarah exclaimed, “I can’t believe our businessmen would sacrifice unsuspecting American lives just to enrich themselves!”

“Shows you teach hygiene and not history.” Eben joked. “Anyway, they probably believed the pain would be small for the war would be quick. Too bad,” he chuckled, “Bush didn’t complete his Mission Accomplished banner and include a second line on that blooper – Profits Accumulating.”

Well, Nephew, leave it to Eben to entertain and provoke.

 Yours truly,
Great Aunt Maggie Pye