Steady as she Goes
November 10th, 2006If it’s true that you can’t tell a book by its cover, it’s also true that you can tell a newspaper article by its headline, and by that measure, this article, Team 41 is a Threat to the Bush Legacy was an absurdity before I ever read it. Team Forty One, of course, refers to Bush the Father while Forty Three is the Incumbent. Team Bush, as it currently stands, can accurately be called Team Ford and even Team Nixon, and that’s a major part of their problem. First of all, George Walker Bush built a team that was designed to confront the Atheistic Soviet Union rather than Islamist Extremists or even obsessed-with-power-quasi-warmongors (like Kim Jung), and by that measure he was already fighting a losing battle when his Presidency began (as soon as 9/11 occurred).
I don’t merely have criticism of Bush’s Cabinet building (it must be reiterated, however, that he isn’t a particularly skilled Carpenter, quite unlike Christ and Chris). I take issue with the author. David Brock alleged in his book, Blinded by the Right that Tucker Carlson once wrote an article criticizing a Brock piece because he was offered five hundred to write it, and Carlson figured that it was a good pay for twenty minutes worth of writing. I must wonder if something similar is at hand here, because otherwise, this author — Daniel Henninger is his name — must be a baboon. Team Forty One — a team that has been successful where Bush’s has never — poses no threat to the Bush Legacy unless Bush enjoys the mud that’s all over his face and doesn’t want it cleaned.
The article’s premise is that Bush’s new CIA Director, a Bush 41 Man, is a threat to Bush’s Legacy because it means that they’re turning back on their policies, and I must say, that on this point alone Henninger is correct. The problem in Iraq isn’t ideological. Some might mock the Iraqi’s Democracy — they’ve had three elections. They have an elected government that is doing its best. They’re rebuilding a war-torn country, and that’s not a process that occurs easily. The idea of invading Iraq was never flawed. The tactics taken were the flawed ones, and in that regard, I differ with the author as I more than welcome fresh blood in Washington to attempt and solve the War. If Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush hadn’t screwed up the planning, everything would’ve been better. Which isn’t to say that roses would’ve littered Baghdad: just that Baghdad wouldn’t be overrun as it is, and that brings me to this flawed article, from the other side. Its crux is that the White House is now looking at developing an Exit Strategy, something that I caution dearly against.
This, my Dear Readers, is where Iraq is made or broken. Right here, and what we need to do is raise troop levels while announcing that we will begin withdrawing in a year. Then, we step up our training exercises with the Iraqis and work on rebuilding their infrastructure. The reduction of troops in number would be a variable depending on how competent the Iraqis are, but now is the time to begin Iraqifying the country — just not immediately. It’s time to steady Iraq as she goes down the path of a self-fulfilling Democracy. It isn’t time to cut and run. Whether or not we should shouldn’t be decided for at least one more year. I’m sure that sounds alike a lot to some, but look at it this way: the sand in Iraq has been there for thousands of years. We, on the other hand, are just passing by. We should make the most of it for those people instead of rushing back home.
I had a thought the other day, a miscellaneous political thought, and figured to share it. Anyone ever notice how Vegetarians are often Liberal, and usually justify their Vegetarian stance by stating that the way our meat is prepared happens to be cruel and dishonest? Ever notice that these are often the same people who will tell you that abortion is just fine and dandy because it’s just a fetus! (certainly lower than a cow, as it’s a parasite feeding off its host!) and, hey, it’s her body, after all? It just always seemed ironic to me that vegetarians would complain of cruelty to animals but be all-too-happy to stab a fetus through the brain with scissors. (Correct that: to have a doctor do it.) But, hey. At least they’re not eating the fetii. No sir. (I’m pro-choice, although I’m certainly not trigger happy about it and I’m no culture warrior. I just noticed this irony and thought I’d point it out.)