Several Democrats and even some Republicans have attributed the disaster in Iraq to the way in which the war was fought. There have been calls for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation. Certainly the Pentagon in fighting this war has made serious errors. From the beginning, when looting broke out, the military had no plans … Continue reading “Understanding Why Iraq
Is a Disaster”
Month: September 2006
Understanding Why Iraq
Slipped His Moorings
The two most dangerous leaders in the world are George W. Bush and North Korea’s Kim Jong Il. The lights seem to be out upstairs in both men. Neither man can see the world as it really exists. I wish to stress that. It’s not a question of having a difference of opinion. Rational people … Continue reading “Slipped His Moorings”
The 9/11 Enigma, Revisited
A thousand years from now, who will observe this doleful anniversary? From that perspective, will the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history seem like a blip on the wide screen of history, or a turning point in the saga of the rising American Imperium? Although I’d be willing to bet on the latter, we can’t … Continue reading “The 9/11 Enigma, Revisited”
Before 9/11, There Was 11/9
With the collapse of the Berlin Wall, American leaders declared “victory” in the Cold War no less firmly or repeatedly than our president has promised “victory” in his Global War on Terror – no less than 12 times, in fact, in an August speech to the American Legion National Convention. However, as Andrew Bacevich, author … Continue reading “Before 9/11, There Was 11/9”
America’s Ideologue in Chief
“The war we fight today is more than a military conflict,” said President Bush to the American Legion. “It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century.” But if the ideology of our enemy is “Islamofascism,” what is the ideology of George W. Bush? According to James Montanye, writing in The Independent Review, it … Continue reading “America’s Ideologue in Chief”
Backtalk September 11, 2006
The GOP, RIP I‘m afraid that in his zeal to pronounce the Republican Party dead before one vote has been cast, Justin is wallowing in irrational exuberance. The GOP’s obituary is premature on several counts: Fewer House races than ever before are competitive due to gerrymandering. In state after state, GOP legislators and state officers … Continue reading “Backtalk September 11, 2006”
Centanni and Wiig Escape: A Celebration and Lessons Learned
My favorite war movies are the ones where people – soldiers or civilians – escape from a prison camp or a concentration camp. I saw The Great Escape when it first came out in 1963, and have seen it at least five times since. I still remember my mother, as soon as we got home … Continue reading “Centanni and Wiig Escape: A Celebration and Lessons Learned”
Reverting to Form
Well, you can say this for President Bush. Even in the midst of a clearly politicized action designed to show candor and that he is changing and evolving as the threats from terrorism evolve, he stays remarkably close to the concepts that have guided him since September 12, 2001. Push for power and keep the … Continue reading “Reverting to Form”
Five Years In, Bush Is Losing Terror War
To consider whether U.S. President George W. Bush is winning his “global war on terror” (GWOT) five years after al-Qaeda’s devastating 9/11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon, one has only to look at the news of the past few days. In Afghanistan, where the war began, NATO and U.S. forces are struggling to … Continue reading “Five Years In, Bush Is Losing Terror War”
Bully Bolton
Last year, President Bush’s nomination of John Bolton to be Ambassador to the United Nations never even made it out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Opposition to Bolton’s confirmation was expressed formally to the Committee – by former Assistant Secretary of State Carl Ford, former Chief of Staff to Secretary Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, former … Continue reading “Bully Bolton”