If, at the end of September 2001 you had said that both Iraq and Afghanistan would have elected new democratic national governments by the end of 2005, I would have said you were a bit too optimistic.
Murdoc Online
If, at the end of September 2001 you had said that both Iraq and Afghanistan would have elected new democratic national governments by the end of 2005, I would have said you were a bit too optimistic.
7 comments:
me too.
Yes. But, we live in a time of goal-post-moving. It's a wonder the NFL can actually finish a season.
The previous administration had bragged of "immaculate coercion" regarding Kosovo (remember Madeline Halfbright). The fact that the Balkans are not civilized yet is curiously absent from the MSM (where's 60 minutes on that one?). Today I read an article by Robin Wright (whom I used to like once upon a time). Apparently now that the Iraqis have voted thrice, the dangers loom large. The article (excuse me, op-ed masquerading as an article) was blatant fear mongering. Iraq is about to go to hell in a hand basket (she even had the gaul to say the Iraqi economy was lousy). Geee, that was a short celebration.
barry:
Well it is the Middle East. Dangers loom large in any event.
Barry,
Thomas Sowell wrote earlier this week:
"Utter ignorance of history enables any war with any casualties to be depicted in the media as an unmitigated disaster."
Beyond the substance of the speech, Bush struck the right tone.
He expressed respect for those who oppose the war, admitted to some mistakes, and conveyed how wrenching it is to be a war president and how determined he is to win the war.
Bush also put the focus where it should be -- on where we go from here.
He has a coherent answer; the Democrats don't.
Glenn Reynolds argues that Bush was up-front about his responsibility for the war because he thinks we're winning and wants credit.
Bush almost certainly does think that things are going our way and that we will win if we persevere.
But I think the tone of the speech was less about positioning himself to take credit than about conveying his sincerity and good faith in order to persuade Americans to stick with him on the war so that we do win it.
I trust that the personal qualities Bush displayed in the speech play better with most Americans than those his crtics generally display.
Powerline
Joe and I swore to each other that we would never forget the Afghani's. And I think Joe sometimes thinks my support for Iraq has made me forget Afghanistan.
But the truth is that I knew Iraq would move al Qaeda's attention out of Afghanistan and make our job there much easier.
And it did.
I don't know how to express it, but to me there is something very special about the Afghani people. They've been through so much for over 1000 years yet their sense of humor, and especially the endearing way they laugh at themselves, demonstrates an outlook on life that is both accepting yet hopeful. They are both strong and gentle, fierce and meek.
Whereas I see the Iraqis as much more like us. Just a bit more excitable.
Okay, how politically incorrect were those statements! LOL
Remember the Taliban spokesman during the first days of the War in Afghanistan? I don't remember his name, but he sat at a table every day surrounded by the press somewhere in Pakistan.
When asked if they made anthrax the Taliban spokesman looked confused and said 'Anthrax? We can't even make glass!'
He was later carted off to Guantanimo.
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