# Rumsfeld Memo: "Stay the Course NOT Working" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 3, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675 "2006-12-03T10:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/1 "2006-12-03T10:17:06Z")
[Rumsfeld suggested “changing course” in memo two days before he was axed.](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003459313_rumsfeld03.html) > [@](#): > > Two days before he resigned as defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld submitted to the White House a classified memo that acknowledged the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq was not working and called for a major course correction. > > “In my view it is time for a major adjustment,” wrote Rumsfeld, a symbol of a dogged, stay-the-course policy. “Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.” > [@](#): > > “Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis,” he wrote. "This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another course, if necessary, and therefore not ‘lose.’ " > > “Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals [how we talk about them] — go minimalist,” he added. Rumsfeld’s memo suggests frustration with the pace of turning over responsibility to Iraqi authorities; in fact, the memo calls for an examination of ideas that roughly parallel troop-withdrawal proposals presented by some of the White House’s sharpest Democratic critics. So, if Rummy _was_ pushed out, was it this memo that did it? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/2 "2006-12-03T10:25:46Z")
Meh. Sounds to me like someone who was GONE, and was trying to kiss ass and save his job. Hypocrite! ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/3 "2006-12-03T14:50:29Z")
Sounds to me like a GD. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/4 "2006-12-03T16:06:32Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] Sounds to me like a GD. [/QUOTE] Yeppers. Off to GD. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/5 "2006-12-03T16:17:33Z")
It is argued by Iraq war supporters that this is nothing like Vietnam. I say that in one crucial aspect it is exactly like Vietnam. In McNamara’s book he describes an endless loop. “This is Vietnam’s war. The south has to win it for themselves and we will stay only long enough to ensure that they are up to the job.” “Are they ready yet?” “No but we are making progress.” And as the saying goes, lather, rinse, repeat. For many years. Somehow that all sounds quite familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rumsfeld-memo-stay-the-course-not-working/382675/6 "2006-12-03T16:34:08Z")
[QUOTE=SkipMagic] Yeppers. Off to GD. [/QUOTE] But it’s already [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398510). I’ll step on **tom** ’s toes, and close this one.