No Do-Overs Allowed

Let me say up front that I opposed the war in Iraq at the outset. (And mind you, this was before it was cool to be against it.) The connection between Saddam and Al Quaeda seemed flimsy (if not non-existent) at best, and the fact that the justification for war later became a moving target certainly confirmed my worst suspicions. The search for terrorists eventually morphed into a search for WMDs and, after that, the goal was to bring democracy to Iraq. Anyway, the real reasons for the whole enterprise all seemed obvious and transparent to me, so during the headlong rush to war, it made me wonder whether I was missing something. Or did I just have the good fortune not to drink the Koolaid that day?

(In case anyone doubts my hawkish credentials, let me say however that, by contrast, I all was for going into Afghanistan after 9/11 to root out the Taliban and their terrorist links. There, the justification and goals seemed crystal clear.)

Well, now with everything going to hell-in-a-hand basket, and after several years of staying the course and flailing around with no clear direction, the present administration wants to escalate the war.

To state the obvious (and, as you can see, I have a good track record on this), the President's primary goal at this stage of the game is no longer to help Iraq. Instead, his aim is to save tattered legacy--saving Iraq is only gravy. By increasing the number of troops in Iraq, he gets to ensure that he is not the President who technically exited Iraq and left it in shambles (I guess simply destabilizing the region will be enough.)

Instead, he lets the next President--and of course the American people--get left holding the bag. It’s nice to know that he’s willing to spill more American blood simply to save his ass and what’s left of his reputation.

What this country now needs is not just a fresh strategy but fresh leadership. Other people and nations know that this is a person who is flexible and open to new ideas. I believe that everyone--including allies and enemies alike--are simply biding their time to see whether the next president will be someone they can deal with and start with a clean slate.

Bush 43 has operated under the conviction that “staying the course” and being unchanging was a strength. Americans now recognize that it’s a liability. After all, as a friend once noted, the only problem with having the strength of your convictions is what if you’re wrong all the time?