[extropy-chat] FWD (SK) Re: Bush says critics distort history

[Terry W. Colvin]

[Forwarding comments from John Forester, son of C.S. Forester.  -Terry]


I have listened to excerpts of Bush's speeches, sometimes to whole

speeches, and read excerpts, and the experience has led me to 
stronger recognition of the classic saying that patriotism is the 
final refuge of the scoundrel. Well, I have also read Imperial 
Hubris, and The Assassins' Gate, and I read two political magazines 
and a quarterly that frequently covers world events in detail; I 
suppose that what I have read in those has predisposed me to my 
judgement. But, on the whole, all the different items fit together in 
a consistent picture.

In my opinion, were I in Bush's position (which I cannot, not having 
been born in the USA), I would accept responsibility for the decision 
to invade Iraq, for the errors that led to that decision, and to the 
errors in planning that have produced results far different from my 
expectation, and then do my utmost to work out a reasonable plan for 
fixing the problem that the nation, and the world, now faces. Bush 
refuses to take this course, insisting that we all accept that 
everything that he has done has been perfect and that all that we 
should do is to "stay the course", meaning to continue to carry out 
the plan (more nearly lack of plan) that has not worked in the 
expectation that it will work.

I hark back to the account, some years ago, by one of his professors 
at Yale, stating that Bush always tried to escape responsibility for 
his errors and omissions. Same damned excuse, but now for the 
world-wide scale of problems

Bush's attitude makes it very difficult for the Democrats to work out 
a better plan for recovery from this problem. As it is, they seem to 
be unable to get beyond a desire to get our troops out, as the 
contrast to Bush's insistence that the only patriotic act is to keep 
them in. In a parliamentary system, there might well have arisen a 
government of national unity devoted to working out the problem in 
the best possible way. This doesn't occur under the American 
Constitutional system. As long as Bush maintains control of the 
Republicans, that type of solution must wait until at least the next 
elections; it is possible that either Democrats take over, or that 
some Republicans opposed to Bush get elected. For an earlier attempt 
at solution we must hope for defection by a considerable portion of 
the Republicans.

John Forester, MS, PE
Bicycle Transportation Engineer



-- 
"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice


Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com >
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