I am no fan of Scowcroft, Baker et al. but there is so much to object to in JJV’s latest post that it would not fit in comments. Apologies for the slapdash nature of some of this but I guess that gives us a level playing field.
First, some areas of agreement. Agreed that Bush I lacked the vision thing. Agreed that that wing of the Carlyle Group is adept at coddling whoever can pony up the dough. Agreed that “They are well manicured swine with the morals of Borgias.” I think that is one of the finest sentences JJV has produced, and not just because I agree with it.
However, Poppy lost the election because of the domestic economy, not because he failed to do Something Really Amazing and Not Specified by JJV on the international front. (Take Baghdad and be greeted as liberators? Encourage Eastern Europe and the Soviet republics to hit the streets? There’s a reason we never heard the slogan “It’s the Marsh Arabs, stupid.”) Or should we have blown through potentially vast sums of blood and treasure in pursuit of unattainable hyperpower status rather than laying the groundwork for the peaceful end of the Cold War and the quietly successful disarming of three new nuclear states (Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan)?
And now to address some particularly noteworthy items:
“Iran, Syria and Al Queda all sense victory from the fall of Rumsfeld and the Democrats victory.” As one of JJV’s idols would put it, “Wrong!” They don’t have to look beyond Iraq and Afghanistan to sense anything of the sort. What do you think they would have said had the GOP retained control of Congress, “We must rethink our actions in light of our enemies’ victory at the polls” or some such? More to the point, WHO CARES?!? Why are we letting the commentary of various international lowlifes into our domestic political discourse?
“There is something worse than death and defeat and that is dishonor.” That should be welcome news for the bumper crop of widows and orphans created by the Iraq war.
“We have the choice between dishonor and war.” Frankly, we seem to have been able to have our cake and eat it too on that score.
OK, I’m done for the moment. I seem to have run out of froth.
9 comments:
If you think the Iraq war has caused a "bumper crop" of widows and orphans wait until they leave off fighting it.
I was referring to our widows and orphans, you ninny. Presumably there would be fewer of those the sooner we get out, not to mention if we hadn't gone in in the first place.
Civil war was likely in any post-Hussein scenario but I remain unclear as to why we needed to jump-start it.
Don't worry, I hear a strongman willing to do our bidding is all that is required. Perhaps there's a member of the Pahlavi family available?
Um, there actually is. Please don't bring that up in front of JJV again.
Why don't we just skip to the end and install Baker over there?
"A strongman willing to do our bidding." Very nicely put.
I meant our widows and orphans. Perceived defeats remain provacative. I believe that we will now retreat where we should advance. That retreat will be psycologically devastating to those who sided with us. It will energize our foes. Iran will get the Bomb. Eventually, a horror will occurr on our shores because we failed to excise the number 1 supporter remaining of state terrorism. We should be using Iraq to destabilize Iran, not vice versa.
They/we can't keep the lights on, but you think/we they can destabalize a neighbor? Perhaps chaos is merely contagious or works via osmosis?
I hear your argument, JJV. Unfortunately, unlike 2004, Osama bin Laden failed to take the extraordinary step of producing a commercial on behalf of John Kerry and the Dems. The voter has a short memory and seems to have forgotten that terrorists want their vote to be counted, too.
Also, for lam's benefit, it's not like Saddam had Ansar al-Islam (aka al Queda in Iraq) under his thumb. When you need to dedicate yourself 100 percent to killing Kurds, the random festering terrorist organization will have to wait its turn.
JWT
gee, thanks. never had a benefactor before
. . . nor a filter apparently
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