Iraq and the Difference Between Advocating Victory and Actually Winning

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Frank Rich takes up the O'Hanlon and Pollack op-ed along with his poison-barbed treatment of all those pundits who he believes only disingenuously aver that they support the troops in what is really a desperate bid to support this Republican Bush Administration in the face of a political free-fall.

As usual, Rich is a bit one-sided, but, again, he is more of an opinion-maker than a neutral analyst. I like his strong account for my record.

I would only note that those who continue to beat the drums for an effort that would seem to have no chance at any meaningful success are not necessarily crassly poltical and partisan. For it is true that defeat in Iraq will be a terrible blow for the country, such that it could be worth almost anything to try to win, even to try to manipulate public opinion to maintain support for a long war, which is always difficult in a generally peace-loving democracy.

But you have to win. And it is not enough to be America. You have to win.

Arguably, though, the problem was choosing this war and going in only half-cocked. I, myself, thought it was a bold stroke that could be a decisive move in the larger War on Terror. But this Administration apparently went in with no conception about what it would take to secure the country, and they certainly had warnings about the consequences of breaking the country and then having to own it.

And their mess is our tragedy.

( Rich )

xXx

Iraq and the Difference Between Advocating Victory and Actually Winning

♠
Frank Rich takes up the O'Hanlon and Pollack op-ed along with his poison-barbed treatment of all those pundits who he believes only disingenuously aver that they support the troops in what is really a desperate bid to support this Republican Bush Administration in the face of a political free-fall.

As usual, Rich is a bit one-sided, but, again, he is more of an opinion-maker than a neutral analyst. I like his strong account for my record.

I would only note that those who continue to beat the drums for an effort that would seem to have no chance at any meaningful success are not necessarily crassly poltical and partisan. For it is true that defeat in Iraq will be a terrible blow for the country, such that it could be worth almost anything to try to win, even to try to manipulate public opinion to maintain support for a long war, which is always difficult in a generally peace-loving democracy.

But you have to win. And it is not enough to be America. You have to win.

Arguably, though, the problem was choosing this war and going in only half-cocked. I, myself, thought it was a bold stroke that could be a decisive move in the larger War on Terror. But this Administration apparently went in with no conception about what it would take to secure the country, and they certainly had warnings about the consequences of breaking the country and then having to own it.

And their mess is our tragedy.

( Rich )

xXx