Friday, January 21, 2005
Email of the day
One thing that was just extraordinarily interesting about his speech was that it articulated an utter repudiation of his father's and Brent Scowcroft's (and Powell's?) foreign policy and chosen path to completion of Persian Gulf War I. In his speech, he referred to the fact that it would be dishonorable to abandon Iraq (i.e. the Shia), something which the US did explicitly in 1991. Imagine that word! Of course, it applies to many State Dept driven interactions with the world and doesn't have to be solely applied to PGW I. But it applies so well. Here we beat Saddam in 1991 to "liberate Kuwait" but cared not a whit when he slaughtered the Shia. And we explicitly left a tyrant in power to "promote stability" -- a policy again which GWB rejects completely.
It is equally remarkable to hear Scowcroft now bleating publicly about what a disaster has been created, and how we should NOT have Iraqi elections. It is quite shocking really. Seldom has there been such a forceful repudiation of a prior decision, and imagine that it was his own father...this is what partisan-obsessed people fail to realize about this Bush...he goes his own way. (emphasis in original)
Indeed.
3 Comments:
By 
Cardinalpark, at
Fri Jan 21, 12:05:00 PM:
I am the emailer which Tigerhawk posted and must agree fully with James82's comment. It is worth adding that both Clinton and Gore were prepared to deal aggressively with Iraq in 1998, but Clinton's political problems and subsequent impeachment hamstrung his ability to act.
The media's anti-Iraq obsession cannot be termed as anything other that idiotic. It is quite literally stupid and at odds with any sense of history, morality and liberalism. It is pure pacifism and suitable for complete dismissal as unserious.
What is remarkable, however, about the CIA and Scowcroft is their brazen admission of their reactionary, immoral "trade" of liberty for tyranny and stability. The alliance between the pacifists on the one hand, and the "realists", on the other, puts in stark relief just how courageous GWB actually is. In the pursuit of his policy, he is taking on all comers, and the American people seem to get it in spades -- at least enough to reelect him convincingly, with increased margins in virtually every state.
And to use the word dishonorable in his speech was astonishing. Imagine that's what he just called his father's crew (excepting Cheney, I suppose), and by implication, his father.
A very big deal.
By Sluggo, at
Fri Jan 21, 01:25:00 PM:
Scowcroft and Baker ("f*** the jews") are beezores. Mischief makers on a Carteresque scale. How they must be gnashing their teeth over Porter Goss swinging the ax at Langley.
By Cardinalpark, at
Sat Jan 22, 11:45:00 AM:
yes, well. the antisemitism of the eldest Bush, Prescott, is well documented. The sins of that father were certainly visited on the son, GHWB. Fred Malek's banishment during his presidential campaign was well documented as related to his antisemitic history. Sadly, GHWB was cursed with this, surrounded by it in cronies like Scowcroft and Baker. And of course, GHWB did run the CIA at one time.
Again, GWB's differences with his father stand out. And one must similarly credit Cheney and Rumsfeld with being unblemished in the regard. Lanny Davis's piece on the LA Times on GWB's absence of bias is similarly nice testament.
Dishonorable indeed. GWB reflects a new generation..and we shouldn't forget Jeb is married to a hispanic woman. These people are alright...
