The Bush Paradox

[oscar novak]

Op Ed Column from the NYT. The Bush Paradox:

Excerpt:

.

..When President Bush consulted his own generals, the story was much the same. Almost every top general, including Abizaid, Schoomaker and Casey, were against the surge. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was against it, according to recent reports. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki called for a smaller U.S. presence, not a bigger one.

In these circumstances, it’s amazing that George Bush decided on the surge. And looking back, one thing is clear: Every personal trait that led Bush to make a hash of the first years of the war led him to make a successful decision when it came to this crucial call.

Bush is a stubborn man. Well, without that stubbornness, that unwillingness to accept defeat on his watch, he never would have bucked the opposition to the surge.

Bush is an outrageously self-confident man. Well, without that self-confidence he never would have overruled his generals.

In fact, when it comes to Iraq, Bush was at his worst when he was humbly deferring to the generals and at his best when he was arrogantly overruling them. During that period in 2006 and 2007, Bush stiffed the brass and sided with a band of dissidents: military officers like David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno, senators like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and outside strategists like Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and Jack Keane, a retired general.

Bush is also a secretive man who listens too much to Dick Cheney. Well, the uncomfortable fact is that Cheney played an essential role in promoting the surge. Many of the people who are dubbed bad guys actually got this one right...(cont'd)

[ninowesco]

wow

can't come up with your own opinions so you're posting op-ed now

great

[greenjoker]

Saddam Hussein was also stubborn and had a great deal of self-confidence, And in the words of our esteemed Vice President Cheney - SO!

[GRR Spartan]

The Oscar paradox

Doesn't serve but loves combat situations. Much like his hero Bush2.

[Roger Waters]

Originally Posted by GRR Spartan

The Oscar paradox

Doesn't serve but loves combat situations. Much like his hero Bush2.

[oscar novak]

Originally Posted by ninowesco

wow

can't come up with your own opinions so you're posting op-ed now

great

I suggest you familiarize yourself with the thread title icons. Note that the newspaper icon was used for this post. This demonstrates that a news item is being posted in the thread. For future reference, if you seek pure opinion free of news articles, skip those marked with the newspaper icon. Have someone pin the instructions to your shirt if you have trouble remembering things.

[oscar novak]

Originally Posted by GRR Spartan

The Oscar paradox

Doesn't serve but loves combat situations. Much like his hero Bush2.

Awww, it's adorable the way you lash out when presented with anything written after 2006. And your paradox? "Doesn't think, but posts on message boards anyway"? Sorta fits.

Out of curiosity - what does your buddy in the Guard think about Iraq these days?

[Negotiator]

I have two observations.

1) Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It's possible Bush after much analysis and discussion came to the conclusion that this was in the best interests of the United States and Iraq. It could be he just lucked out. Since there's no answer sheet, there's no way to tell. Given his track record and personal stances you can infer either conclusion.

2) In either result, a man with no appreciable military experience told two Joint Chiefs and the Senior Coalition Commander in Iraq, guys with over 100 years of service between them, "I know how to do your jobs better than you do." That sounds like more balls than brains to me. It's like John L. Smith getting a touchdown with a draw play on 3rd and 25: You may have gotten the outcome you wanted, but a dumb call is a dumb call.

[oscar novak]

Originally Posted by Negotiator

I have two observations.

1) Even a broken clock is right twice a day. It's possible Bush after much analysis and discussion came to the conclusion that this was in the best interests of the United States and Iraq. It could be he just lucked out. Since there's no answer sheet, there's no way to tell. Given his track record and personal stances you can infer either conclusion.

2) In either result, a man with no appreciable military experience told two Joint Chiefs and the Senior Coalition Commander in Iraq, guys with over 100 years of service between them, "I know how to do your jobs better than you do." That sounds like more balls than brains to me. It's like John L. Smith getting a touchdown with a draw play on 3rd and 25: You may have gotten the outcome you wanted, but a dumb call is a dumb call.

This reminds me of the "which Republicans would be Democrats today" thread and yet another parallel to Abraham Lincoln, who pretty much did the same thing with even less military experience.

Have we had any great Presidents that served in the military? GRR...any thoughts...all would have held the office before 2006 so you're eligible to provide an answer.

[Negotiator]

Originally Posted by oscar novak

This reminds me of the "which Republicans would be Democrats today" thread and yet another parallel to Abraham Lincoln, who pretty much did the same thing with even less military experience.

Have we had any great Presidents that served in the military? GRR...any thoughts...all would have held the office before 2006 so you're eligible to provide an answer.

And if you had evidence of me revering Lincoln and his individual calls you might have a good point in a debate. Since I know I've never posted on the civil war on here, you're back to square one, since I can say "Lincoln got lucky, too."

[oscar novak]

Originally Posted by Negotiator

And if you had evidence of me revering Lincoln and his individual calls you might have a good point in a debate. Since I know I've never posted on the civil war on here, you're back to square one, since I can say "Lincoln got lucky, too."

Oh. Well, what specifically was the "dumb" call.

[Negotiator]

Originally Posted by oscar novak

Oh. Well, what specifically was the "dumb" call.

Originally Posted by the article

Almost every top general, including Abizaid, Schoomaker and Casey, were against the surge. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was against it, according to recent reports. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki called for a smaller U.S. presence, not a bigger one.
In these circumstances, it’s amazing that George Bush decided on the surge. And looking back, one thing is clear: Every personal trait that led Bush to make a hash of the first years of the war led him to make a successful decision when it came to this crucial call.
Bush is a stubborn man.