Life in the "Emerald City"

Tonight Keith Olberman (MSNBC's "Countdown") spoke with Rajiv Chandrasakeran, author of the book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone." Earlier in the day, both George Bush and John McCain blathered on about the successes of Bush's Baghdad "surge." Chandrasakeran's Oz language is a perfect fit for these Bopsy Twins of War, since they are holding hands deep in the fog of fantasty land. The Green Zone, surrounded by a wall 17 feet high, is supposedly the safest place in Iraq. But at present it is hunkered down more than ever. The heart of the Zone--the U.S. Embassy--has just ordered its people to wear flak jacket and helmet any time they are outside the building. Recently, dozens of rockets and mortar shells have landed inside the Zone.

In the meantime the newest numbers on US casualties read like this:

Since Bush let loose his "shock and awe" attack on Baghdad on March 19, 2003, 3,244 US troops have died. Since his theatrical "Mission Accomplished" speech--that was May 1, 2003-- 3,105 have died. Since the capture of Saddam on December 13, 2003, 2,783 have died. Since the so-called "handover" on June 29, 2004, 2,385 have died. Since the January 31, 2005, elections, 1,807 have died. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died in these four years; according to the Lancet study, the number is over 650,000.

Not so many Americans are off to see the Wizard these days. The rest of the world figured him out years ago.