Dear Supporter of President Bush and Vice President Cheney:

The administrations' policies fail even on their own terms.

What do I mean?

Well, the White House says that "we need to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here". However, American intelligence agencies have concluded that the Iraq war increases the threat of terrorism (and see this and this).

And Bush and Cheney say that torture is part of the new reality, and that 24's Jack Bauer is the new American role model. However, a former FBI interrogator said torture doesn't work, and it actually breeds terrorism. Indeed, it is well-known by professional interrogators that torture doesn't work. Moreover, torture by Americans endangers all American troops (if they are captured, it will be pay-back time).

And the guys in charge think that America can control the world (for good) by fighting wars on multiple fronts using the "Rumsfeld Doctrine". Specifically, Rummie replaced the "Powell Doctrine" (going into war with overwhelming force) with a new empire-friendly doctrine of sending in few troops in many theaters with few supplies but a lot of high-tech toys and air campaigns. Guess what? It doesn't work.

Just look at Iraq. We bombed the snot out of them during the initial shock and awe phase, but they did something really sneaky: they hid until the bombing campaign was over. Then they came out and started shooting at our boys. Oh, and those bombs turned the entire population into part of the "resistance", because -- surprise, surprise -- killing and maiming a bunch of kids and innocent civilians seems to do that for some reason.

And our soldiers are getting killed due to Rummie's theory that you can lightly provision the troops.

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney's policies fail on their own terms.