President Bush is in Iraq today, taking a well-deserved victory lap for his amazing work and the even more amazing work of coalition forces. Jules Crittenden has a detailed look at this great victory.
History will not be kind to many of the so-called “progressives” when the story of this era is documented. I’m proud I voted for Bush twice. And I’m glad this is the era that the decay of the old news media became obvious and undeniable.
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Dean, it might be just you and me, but I’m with you on this. Despite all my disappointments with this Administration, the point history — not next year or even five or ten, but real history — will remember about this Administration is the one you have addressed here.
Ron Coleman’s last blog post..East of eatin?
History will make a judgment on the Iraq war. It is clear today that the Iraqi people still have very mixed feelings about the US and the Iraq war. Clearly the vast majority of Iraqis are glad to see Saddam gone, but many still do not trust the US or its motives.
I suspect 20 years from now, this will still be a political issue dragged out by conservatives, just as re-fighting the Vietnam war is a hot issue with conservatives today.
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"Do not trust the US or its motives" vs. "want the evil occupiers murdered and gone right now"–you notice there’s a profound difference there, I hope.
By almost any rational standard, things are better today in Iraq than they have ever been. As in, in that nation’s entire history. And a very substantial portion of the population is glad we went (the ones who greeted us with flowers, I mean), others who were glad but then were unhappy with us, and those who’ve grudgingly come to admit it was probably for the best but they still aren’t unhappy with it are all part of the equation. But almost no one now can deny what a smashing success it’s been.
The war’s over. We won. As for re-fighting Vietnam: well, having taken a lesson on how we surrendered that war after we’d already won it decisively, and the millions who died as a result of our unnecessary surrender and retreat, for many progressive humanists, neocons, conservatives, and just plain sensible folks it was necessary to remember Vietnam. So we didn’t make the same mistake again, and wouldn’t have to listen to the endless claims that this would be "another Vietnam." Humanist progressives, neocons, and conservatives who supported this war for all the right reasons (there were over a dozen) all knew we couldn’t afford another Vietnam.
Looks like we don’t have one, either, thanks to those of us who actually remember our history and know something about what successful military campaigns look like.
Evidently the move now is — since it is no longer possible to debate either whether the war was "won" nor if Iraq is a better place today than it was before the war — to argue that because the war was "never legal" in the first place, no outcome can redeem its evilness. (That’s what I’m getting on a thread that developed off this post at my Facebook profile.)
Ron Coleman’s last blog post..East of eatin?
How history will view the Iraq war will really depend on what happens in Iraq after the US forces (or the bulk of them) leave. Victory is a strong, stable, democratic Iraq without US forces helping to provide that stability. A victory celebration now is somewhat premature, and overlooks the huge problems that remain in Iraq.
I see, Bush’s legacy is tied to the future outcome of Iraq. Well, I guess Bush can rest comfortably given how wonderful we all know Iraqi society can be.Â
Mikeca: That seems like a weird metric to me, given that we still have U.S. troops in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Are those failed states? Were those losses and not victories?
You guys constantly shift the goalposts. I expect them to shift again once Obama takes office. Then you guys will suddenly start to see massive improvements in Iraq–improvements that have been taking place for years now, but none of which is visible to your eyes and won’t be until you can give all credit for it to Obama. So I cheerfully expect to see President Obama being hailed as the guy who brought us victory in Iraq. ;-)
Actually, that victory lap must have gotten his blood circulating because he dodged that shoe lightning fast! He was like a wily cat.
Dean: You guys constantly shift the goalposts.
Great blog, too lively for me to resist adding my two cents. I agree that the anti-Bush voices change the conditions for success. Hell, 50 years from now maybe Iraq is hunky dory, and all the turmoil will be revised as bold nation-building. But to be fair, the administration has moved the goalposts a few times themselves. They said they invaded to find WMD and protect America and then, after they didn’t find any WMD, the invasion became about liberating the Iraqi people and making Iraq a functional democracy (and of course, fighting terror). Nobody said anything about building a democracy when Powell went before the UN. And while building a democracy is a very noble goal, it seems kinda disingenuous when that priority only emerges in order to save face.
If Bush had said in all those speeches in the run-up to the invasion: “Yes, I want to disarm Saddam but I also want to make an ally out of an enemy, I want to make Iraq a place where anyone can express their opinions free of fear of execution from a heinous dictator” it would have been a lot harder for liberals today to bash the mission, since they’re all about, “save this, save that”. But that’s not why the President went in there, and everything else just comes off as looking for a silver lining.
Vhanna: The administration gave more than ten different reasons for going in. It’s partisan garbage to state that we went "for WMDs." It’s a corrosive, hateful lie.
The reasons given (and every one of these came out of the President’s mouth, not to mention prominent members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and other members of the Administration). They were:
So please, let’s dispense with the hateful hurtful corrosive lie that we went in solely for WMDs. It’s garbage.
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