Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa reports from Iraq: “There are no police stations or banks, the American troops are scared and hated and anything that isn’t guarded is stolen or destroyed. Is there hope for the people of Baghdad?” Guardian/UK [props to Miguel]

Steve Gilliard asks if we recognize this scenario:

“Arrogant company founded by rich kids, hires on daddy’s former employees as advisors and then starts spending wildly.

Company embarks on risky venture against all industry practice and advice and gains early success. As time goes on, the business proves to be more difficult and the debt, run up so easily in the past, starts to be a burden.

The company, realizing the need for change, starts to negotiate for loans and investments. Only problem is that the people most likely to invest have pretty steep terms. The management, run by people who have no clue, demand to keep their seats on the board, and most of their shares. The investors, who never liked the management or the plan, shake their heads at the arrogance. They’re the ones begging for help, yet they expect to still have a say in running the company as the majority partners.

As the employees complain and quit, mangement portrays the company as healthy and functioning. When industry analysts depicted a troubled company, they attack the analysis and complain about bias.

Instead of bailing out the company, the investors wait for it to fail and then buy the assets at a fire sale.

That describes a hundred dotcoms. It also describes the fate of our policy in Iraq.

Why should the UN jump in on US terms, when, if they wait six months or so, can go to the Shias and Sunnis, insert peacekeepers on their terms, leaving a weakened, chastened US forced to accept it.. The US is not in the driver’s seat. There will be no money or troops as long as the US runs the show. That’s pretty much understood. There isn’t a country where a vote could pass parliament to send troops to Iraq which hasn’t already accepted US bribe money.”

Ed Fitzgerald, one of the most thoughtfl people I met through weblogging, has tentatively dipped his toe into the waters of the weblog world with unfutz. Everyone should give it a try. See what you think, for one thing, of the intriguing proposal for a “liberal rapid response team” he discusses.