Boogeyman Theory of Foreign Policy

Today's Quote is from Andisheh Nouraee, author of Creative Loafing/ Weekly Planet's insightful Don't Panic: Your War Questions Answered.

In response to the question, "So was Abu Musab Zarqawi's death a turning point in the war in Iraq after all?"*

"Like many of his predecessors, the Bush administration likes to personalize complex international military and political issues. It helps to establish a good vs. evil narrative that plays "real good" with voters.
Zarqawi was the Bush administration's swarthy, bearded face of evil in Iraq. Rather than fess up to how badly the U.S. was botching up the occupation, the White House-Pentagon-Fox News-RNC-Limbaugh message machine made sure that as much attention as possible was focused on Zarqawi. It's part of the Boogeyman Theory of foreign policy. The theory states that every minute spent discussing some swarthy evil guy with facial hair is a minute spent not talking about how incompetent the Bush administration is."

remember Zarqawi? According to the administration this would be a death blow to the insurgency, which has increased its violent campaigns since its "leader" has died (I guess the turning point was away from Civil War to Civil War). Oops.

BTW, have you noticed they have started bringing back Osama, whom the administration had forgotten about (saying it is not really about 1 guy).