Tuesday, May 20, 2003
‘Out of sheer incompetence ...’: What’s happening in Iraq, if it keeps up for much longer, is a tragedy. The Globe just nails it in one of its opening sentences: “But because President Bush and his advisers have been indefensibly slow to respond to this violent disorder, they must now persuade Iraqis that Washington permitted the postwar destruction of electrical stations, hospitals, Baghdad's communications center, and all ministry buildings except the oil ministry not in furtherance of some devious imperialist scheme but out of sheer incompetence.” ...
... The Christian Science Monitor’s updated warblog is all over the They’re Botching the Rebuilding angle. Lots of links to related stories at the CSM site. ... Maybe we can learn some lessons from the Brits before it’s too late. ... This seems to be one of those rare issues that both conservatives and liberals agree on. Not quite sure why, but it has something to do with recognizing the difference between anarchy and nation building. One can endlessly argue whether ‘nation building’ is feasible in a country like Iraq. But a semblance of law and order is feasible -- and we’re blowing it.
Update -- Daniel Drezner (via Instapundit) has his own thoughts on Bush's drift on Iraq: "A troubling hypothesis -- is it possible that the message discipline so valued by the Bushies also leads to the suppression of policy adaptability?" ... Another troubling hypthesis: Maybe Bush doesn't really care. Or a variation: He's too busy focusing on other matters. ... Hope those tax cuts are worth it. ... No WMD found. No semblance of democracy and/or law and order in post-war Iraq. Not something historians are going to look kindly upon if neither is achieved.
... The Christian Science Monitor’s updated warblog is all over the They’re Botching the Rebuilding angle. Lots of links to related stories at the CSM site. ... Maybe we can learn some lessons from the Brits before it’s too late. ... This seems to be one of those rare issues that both conservatives and liberals agree on. Not quite sure why, but it has something to do with recognizing the difference between anarchy and nation building. One can endlessly argue whether ‘nation building’ is feasible in a country like Iraq. But a semblance of law and order is feasible -- and we’re blowing it.
Update -- Daniel Drezner (via Instapundit) has his own thoughts on Bush's drift on Iraq: "A troubling hypothesis -- is it possible that the message discipline so valued by the Bushies also leads to the suppression of policy adaptability?" ... Another troubling hypthesis: Maybe Bush doesn't really care. Or a variation: He's too busy focusing on other matters. ... Hope those tax cuts are worth it. ... No WMD found. No semblance of democracy and/or law and order in post-war Iraq. Not something historians are going to look kindly upon if neither is achieved.
