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"That day, after two hours, we stood in the Oval Office and started to walk out. Darkness was beginning to settle in outside. The upcoming presidential election would perhaps be the most immediate judgment on the war, but certainly not the last. How would history judge his Iraq War? I asked.
It would be impossible to get the meaning right in the short run, the president said, adding he thought it would take about ten years to understand the impact and the true significance of the war.
There will probably be cycles, I said. As Karl Rove believes, I reminded him, all history gets measured by outcomes.
Bush smiled. "History," he said, shrugging, taking his hands out of his pockets, extending his arms out and suggesting with his body language that it was so far off. "We won't know. We'll all be dead."
-- Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
Monk finished what should be the last of his books on the War on Terror, at least for a while, though Seymour Hersh's Chain of Command is a little tempting. Woodward's book is some more inside glimpses behind this history in the making, whatever may come of this madness.
As for the quote above, how one sees it probably depends on how one feels about Bush, of course. The discussion closes the book, and Woodward and Dubya are discussing how the success of the Bush Administration is likely to depend on the Iraq War, with Bush standing on his willingness to be only a one-term president if he should lose to Kerry because of Iraq, believing in this cause that strongly. Is he too cavalier, or does he have 'the big picture' perspective of the great leader?
In addition to scenes showing the rift between Defense and State, with Powell being something of the odd man out in the top policymaking circle anent the Iraq War, as well as scenes of Bush working with other leaders and working up his own resolve within the Administration, one will quote what strikes Monk as a very awkward scene of Bush visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
In the next room, a soldier who had lost a leg above the knee in a landmine explosion was in bed. His son was on the bed with him, and his mother stood by. Some of the soldier's fingers had been amputated.
Bush told the soldier that one of his former aides in Texas had lost a leg, and the guy was a runner who learned to run on his prosthesis. "They can make 'em that good these days," Bush added. "You'll be able to run again."
One of the president's assistants saw a look on the soldier's face that said that he didn't believe that the commander in chief's saying he would run again would make it so.
"I'm sorry about your injury," the president said. "Fight on, show your leadership."
"Roger, Mr. President."
The president assured the soldier that he was getting the best care, and asked some questions. When did you come here? Where did you get hit?
"You'll be out there, mark my word," Bush persisted. "you'll be running again."
The soldier still had a grim look of disbelief.
"God bless you," Laura Bush said.
"Thank you for your service," the president added.
Next it was the room of a Hispanic sergeant whose face was severely scarred and deformed, including his lips. He had been injured dismantling a weapon.
"Como esta," Bush said in Spanish. How are you?
The sergeant could hardly speak, and he was hooked up to a pump of some sort. His mother stood in silence.
"We're proud of your man," Bush said to the mother. "He's serving your country. He'll be fine. He's a strong man." The president presented the sergeant with a Bronze Star. Then he bent down and kissed him on the head, groping for something to shake. The president took the man's left thumb.
The sergeant spoke with difficulty, finally getting it out. "I'd like to stand for you, sir."
"No, you don't," the president said. "I'm standing up for you. I'm looking forward to seeing you a year from now. You'll be great."
The sergeant was from Houston where the president's parents lived. Bush turned to the mother, "If you see my mother and father say hello for me."
-- Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
___ ___ ___
This is one of those scenes that best makes the case for the full pacifist position, for what could be worth such madness, unless you are being attacked yourself?
It also suggests some of the parameters for the nation in deciding whether to wage war. Are you fighting to prevent worse horrors than what you are subjecting your soldiers and your people to face in carrying on that fight?
From the Bush and neo-conservative position, the Iraq War is about trying to prevent more attacks at home, perhaps attacks worse than 9/11 - instead of being reactive, they seek to take the war to the region from which it emanates.
From the anti-Bush perspective, not only has the Iraq War not lessened the chances of Americans facing worse horrors than what the soldiers (as well as the Iraqi innocents) are facing, but it has even placed America at greater risk - increasing the ranks of terrorists and fanning the flames of anti-Americanism.
Who is right? One doesn't believe that anybody is smart enough to answer that question conclusively. But we will vote.
.
"That day, after two hours, we stood in the Oval Office and started to walk out. Darkness was beginning to settle in outside. The upcoming presidential election would perhaps be the most immediate judgment on the war, but certainly not the last. How would history judge his Iraq War? I asked.
It would be impossible to get the meaning right in the short run, the president said, adding he thought it would take about ten years to understand the impact and the true significance of the war.
There will probably be cycles, I said. As Karl Rove believes, I reminded him, all history gets measured by outcomes.
Bush smiled. "History," he said, shrugging, taking his hands out of his pockets, extending his arms out and suggesting with his body language that it was so far off. "We won't know. We'll all be dead."
-- Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
Monk finished what should be the last of his books on the War on Terror, at least for a while, though Seymour Hersh's Chain of Command is a little tempting. Woodward's book is some more inside glimpses behind this history in the making, whatever may come of this madness.
As for the quote above, how one sees it probably depends on how one feels about Bush, of course. The discussion closes the book, and Woodward and Dubya are discussing how the success of the Bush Administration is likely to depend on the Iraq War, with Bush standing on his willingness to be only a one-term president if he should lose to Kerry because of Iraq, believing in this cause that strongly. Is he too cavalier, or does he have 'the big picture' perspective of the great leader?
In addition to scenes showing the rift between Defense and State, with Powell being something of the odd man out in the top policymaking circle anent the Iraq War, as well as scenes of Bush working with other leaders and working up his own resolve within the Administration, one will quote what strikes Monk as a very awkward scene of Bush visiting Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
In the next room, a soldier who had lost a leg above the knee in a landmine explosion was in bed. His son was on the bed with him, and his mother stood by. Some of the soldier's fingers had been amputated.
Bush told the soldier that one of his former aides in Texas had lost a leg, and the guy was a runner who learned to run on his prosthesis. "They can make 'em that good these days," Bush added. "You'll be able to run again."
One of the president's assistants saw a look on the soldier's face that said that he didn't believe that the commander in chief's saying he would run again would make it so.
"I'm sorry about your injury," the president said. "Fight on, show your leadership."
"Roger, Mr. President."
The president assured the soldier that he was getting the best care, and asked some questions. When did you come here? Where did you get hit?
"You'll be out there, mark my word," Bush persisted. "you'll be running again."
The soldier still had a grim look of disbelief.
"God bless you," Laura Bush said.
"Thank you for your service," the president added.
Next it was the room of a Hispanic sergeant whose face was severely scarred and deformed, including his lips. He had been injured dismantling a weapon.
"Como esta," Bush said in Spanish. How are you?
The sergeant could hardly speak, and he was hooked up to a pump of some sort. His mother stood in silence.
"We're proud of your man," Bush said to the mother. "He's serving your country. He'll be fine. He's a strong man." The president presented the sergeant with a Bronze Star. Then he bent down and kissed him on the head, groping for something to shake. The president took the man's left thumb.
The sergeant spoke with difficulty, finally getting it out. "I'd like to stand for you, sir."
"No, you don't," the president said. "I'm standing up for you. I'm looking forward to seeing you a year from now. You'll be great."
The sergeant was from Houston where the president's parents lived. Bush turned to the mother, "If you see my mother and father say hello for me."
-- Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward
___ ___ ___
This is one of those scenes that best makes the case for the full pacifist position, for what could be worth such madness, unless you are being attacked yourself?
It also suggests some of the parameters for the nation in deciding whether to wage war. Are you fighting to prevent worse horrors than what you are subjecting your soldiers and your people to face in carrying on that fight?
From the Bush and neo-conservative position, the Iraq War is about trying to prevent more attacks at home, perhaps attacks worse than 9/11 - instead of being reactive, they seek to take the war to the region from which it emanates.
From the anti-Bush perspective, not only has the Iraq War not lessened the chances of Americans facing worse horrors than what the soldiers (as well as the Iraqi innocents) are facing, but it has even placed America at greater risk - increasing the ranks of terrorists and fanning the flames of anti-Americanism.
Who is right? One doesn't believe that anybody is smart enough to answer that question conclusively. But we will vote.
.
