The delusional optimism of Krazy Kristol

By Michael J.W. Stickings

(We just started our Krazy Kristol series here at The Reaction, but there's just so much material to cover that we're already on our third installment. Click on the label below for the others. Here's the latest.)

Believe it or not, Bill Kristol said this yesterday on Fox News Sunday: "There’s no evidence [the Sunni extremists] can stand up to U.S. troops and quite a bit of evidence that they’re worried. On the whole over the last two weeks, some of the news for Iraq is slightly optimistic. It’s going to be tough, but I see nothing that persuades me that the surge can’t work quite well." (C&L has the video and transcript here, and TP lists "the deadly acts of violence that have taken place in the last week alone" here.)

Billy K. also said Saturday's horrendous suicide bombing that killed over 130 people was an effort "to convey an impression of chaos" in response to the coming surge -- in other words, that it was an act of desperation. But how is this a sane contribution to the public discourse on Iraq? He has no basis for his wild and krazy speculation. Does he understand the motives of the insurgents -- does he understand the nature of the sectarian violence at all? I think not. It is simply irresponsible of him to go on television and pass this off as reasoned analysis. Fox cultists will swallow it all, of course, but how can the killing of 130 Iraqis be a sign that things will get better -- for what else is optimism? I suppose the civil war described by the NIE is also cause for impending celebration.

Is there a clinical term for this sort of delusion? If so, let me know.

(Or is he just a liar?)