For a speech that acknowledges the intelligence that led him (and us by extension) to war was royally screwed up, and given what we know now, the number of flat pronouncements of abject nonsense that we are expected to gobble up is … is… I just don’t know. As a conservative I’m ashamed this man is my President. It’s stunning.
Regardless of how Iraq turns out, defending the loss of 2000+ young American lives and countless Iraqi lives on the premise that Saddam constituted an imminent threat is the US is a lie so clumsy, vile and transparent it’s stomach turning. Then to claim that we are justified in instituting democracy in Iraq by military force because well… “better safe than sorry” & “It’s good for them” is hubris on a scale that beggars the imagination.
I agree with you - if Bush wanted to go to war in order to depose a brutal dictator and help Iraqis establish a democracy, he could and should have made that case, and left the WMDs out of it. Instead, he and Cheney and Condi and all them folks lied like crazy about WMDs, in order to scare the American people into a war of choice.
My only nitpick is about the intel being screwed up. AFAICT, the intel was respectable, but special groups like the Office of Special Plans were cherry-picking the intel for the few bits that made it look like Saddam had a serious weapons program going, and stovepiping those to Rumsfeld and Cheney. Meanwhile, policymakers had access to the rest of the intel which called into question the cherrypicked bits, but they decided to ignore all that.
Maybe the intel wasn’t perfect, but the main problem with the intel was how policymakers used it.
Despite the FACT that the real CIA Report has been on the web, well, since forever. Despite the fact that the DOWNING street memo has been on the web, well, since forever. Despite the fact that people WITHIN the Pentagon have published what was happening every step of the way on the web, well, since forever. Despite shitloads of newpaper reports that were written and been on the web, well, since forever. Despite what Wilson said and published, and which turned out to be true, and has been on the web, well, since forever. Despite the recent web reports and statements from his privately contracted spinmeister that will be on the web, well, forever. Despite the fact that he misrepresented the “war decision of congress” as merely a gt tough message - until afterwards when it - to him- became a true declaration of war.
He still won’t face the fact that HE sifted through the information, and picked what he wanted, in order to make a decision that was HIS. HE tried to spin the phony Saddam/Osama “connection”. HE raile about haters and freedom. It was his war. He pushed for it. He sold it under false pretenses. He made the decision. He still paints all opposers as “traitors”. He is responsible. Now he is trying to (again) blame someone else. At least I can say, I voted against him twice. My conscience is clear.
So then. Is he going to apologize for his party’s Swiftboating of Murtha, Kerry, and everyone else? Is he going to tell his “buddies” to yank the White Flag advertisement?
Notice the slimy bastard says he “accepts blame” from one side of his mouth, while continuing to blame others, out the other side of his mouth. No balls.
If you want a topic, how about “Is Bush capable of truly accepting responsibility for anything he does? Does the buck stop with *anyone * in this White House?”
How 'bout if we first back up a step? You seem to be saying I’m defending Bush. Ya wanna give us something I’ve posted which supports your implication? Might help before we just accept your words as a given.
And your proposed topic also sounds like a rant rather than a reasoned exchange of ideas. Kinda like a “When did you stop beating your wife,” question.
‘Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.’ –Hermann Goering, in a private conversation with Gustave Gilbert, 18 April 1946
I do apologize for posting this in GD. I started crafting a debate question, but the more I wrote, and the more I read his quotes about the justification of the war the more pissed off I became.
The administration’s remaining cheerleaders do sound like battered wives saying “But he’s a good provider, he really has a good heart, and I know he loves me”, don’t they?