In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
Though this Guardian article isn’t as good as many this past week, it does echo my sentiments with its closing paragraph:
To have reached such a position against an adversary who is demonstrably one of the world's most disgusting tyrants, to have transformed him into a hero figure, and to have transformed the American flag into a symbol of oppression, is not only unfortunate but reeks of political incompetence.
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want this war who actually thinks Saddam is anything but an evil dictator who is getting what he deserves. The problem is most of the world (as well as I) feel that he could have been rendered useless and powerless without this war.
And now that we are at war, it is time to reflect on the man who led this nation to war. George W. Bush, who avoided service in Vietnam by joining the Texas National Guard. He was accepted immediately despite a long waiting list, and in the end didn’t even bother showing up for at least a year. In fact almost all of the Bush administration seems to have avoided that war. Here is the famous list of all the prominent folks pushing for battle, who managed to avoid it themselves. And you know what, if I was 18 in 1968 I’d have tried to avoid it too, but if I later became President (don’t hold your breath) I would continue to try to avoid war, for the sake of the soldiers who would die fighting in it. True some wars are unavoidable, but honestly, doesn't anyone think this one was?
For a fun take on all this, there is this famous Chicken Hawk flash piece. “what is it about combat that makes generals so cautious.”
Reading all the above does make you wonder what anger management class Colin Powell took, as he seems to be dealing with his anger quite well considering who he works with these days: "I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...Of the many tragedies of Vietnam, this raw class discrimination strikes me as the most damaging to the ideal that all Americans are created equal and owe equal allegiance to their country." (Colin Powell’s autobiography, My American Journey, p. 148)
- rob 6:41 PM - [PermaLink] -
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