Another file for my “well duh” folder, or perhaps more specifically the “I was afraid this was the case but was hoping it wasn’t” folder. Iraq, where we’re winning apparently, is getting more and more violent.

Violence in Iraq is at an all-time high, confidence in the government is fading, and the economy is faltering, the Pentagon told Congress in a report released Monday.

The Pentagon says injuries and deaths among U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq rose 32% during the period from mid-August to mid-October over the previous three months. Both the average number of attacks each week and the average number of people killed or wounded in those attacks were at their highest levels since the United States handed over power to the Iraqi government in June 2004.

Unbelievable. And it gets worse:

Iraq’s economy continues to struggle, the report says. Inflation from October 2005 to October 2006 was 54%, unemployment remained high, and the country averaged only 11 hours of electricity per day. Organized crime and drug smuggling also are rising, the report says.

I don’t mean for this to just be a “look how bad Iraq sucks right now” kind of post, but more of a post begging for change. No matter what phrase Bush uses, his leadership had gotten us to where we are now. His decision making has fostered this situation, either directly or indirectly by going with his trusted “circle”.

It’s like in the movies when there’s a boneheaded leader character who thinks he knows what’s best, but eventually realizes his decision making is what’s caused all these problems and lets someone else call the shots or at least try out an idea he’s been loathe to accept. We as a country have been stuck just before that moment for about two years now.