About the Author
My title as Chief of all Hypocrites was earned the old fashioned way. Some think Mr and Mrs Hypocrite just named me Chief, but not so.
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June 20th, 2008 •
Chief Hypocrite
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Let me count the ways.
A primer.
Subject to modification.
Version 1.0
All inclusive.
What else is there?
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Incuriously invading Iraq.
- Having a now obviously inadequate plan to create stability in Iraq
- Failing to get lucky in Iraq.
- Not succeeding within months in Iraq.
- Saying now obviously incorrect things about Iraq.
- Trying mostly to convince the UN of the existence of WMD in Iraq.
- Failure to focus on and make the complete case to US Citizens on all of the reasons for the war besides Saddams desire to reconstitute WMD in Iraq.
- Failure to also clearly expose and discuss the potential downsides and worst case scenarios in Iraq.
- Failing in the worldwide PR war and in Iraq.
- Oh, yeah, ticking off Scott McClellan. Now, who will he reminisce with down in Crawford?
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Pingback by Subject: Our Presidential Candidates - US Message Board on 23 June 2008:
[...] the following article, this author points out the mistakes President Bush made.: Did Bush Makes Mistakes? | Hypocrisy Why doesn’t anyone ever remember the good he has done? Everyone can point the finger, and play the [...]
Comment by Angry Republican, with sense on 1 July 2008:
First of all, excuse my vulgarity in the following. Perhaps the person who made this list should consider that the President had the balls to protect his or her family from terrorists. Anyone criticizing Bush for his actions would have criticized him much more if he were to recant from his position. Furthermore, excuse the President for doing his job, protecting your inalienable rights, your freedom, and your families. He swore to protect and proved his dedication to protect American citizens; much more than what is expected from either of the future presidential candidates.
Comment by Chief Hypocrite on 1 July 2008:
Per your request, you are excused for your vulgarity. And from your anger which seems to have clouded your reading and prevented you from understanding the listed reasons in context. My failed humor may also have ignited you. My apologies. Let me explain further.
His mistake (all ten of them) was not succeeding, way before now. Over five years later, we are still bogged down in Iraq, no matter which direction things are going.
I and most Americans expect our Commander-in-Chief to go to a war of his choosing, done at a time of his choosing, with more foresight (curiosity) and better planning (democracy is untidy, yes, but more troops and better strategies were needed) and after better informed US public support (not just UN WMD fixation).
He should have spent more time explaining to us, US Citizens, all the reasons to take Saddam out, rather than relying on 9/11 trauma and the now missing one legged WMD stool, even though it was the only legitimate reason to back any UN mandate. Take that to the UN but we needed that and more.
And I think he believed the WMD reports and rumors, but he not do more than ask slam dunk Tenant about WMD (a Clintonite at that!)also to dig up anything to the contrary. that’s because he needed that sole reason to secure the reluctant and inadequate UN support to put some outside legitimacy on the action, but he had a lot of other good reasons the public still does not understand.
Had he taken more time and explored all of the other legitimate reasons, he might even have changed his own mind or the public might have been behind him so much that the rest of the world would have been more behind him and then he might have had the necessary additional political and military support he failed without.
I supported the invasion before I was against it (smile), as a terrible choice amongst other terrible choices. But I certainly expected it to be begun only when complete and early success was a near certainty without relying on happy campers inside Iraq.
Too much was changing. Removing Saddam was not enough and no one in the administration should started a war with that as a sole or absolute necessary ingredient. Kennedy made that mistake too in Cuba.
Anything close to real success is still hanging in the balance and further out of our control than ever regardless of improvements (since ancient and modern political and religious enemies must still make peace) as our longest running hot war.
If Bush’s actions in their entirely have prevented a further terrorist attack, I say thank you George Bush. But if that is the case, it was his wiretapping and other increased surveillance trying to connect the dots and other actions that worked, not the optional invasion and current quagmire, post Saddam.
God forbid, if we were to suffer a terrorist attack before the November 08 election or within months of the new administration taking over, would that be Bush’s fault? Watch what you brag about. Who do we blame for that one if it comes? Past terrorist attacks have come in new places as well as old places and after some time. Are you sure there are none planned but not yet tried? Secretary Chertoff says there are many planned. Terrorists can be patient, maybe more patient than presidents with too much power in the midst of national catastrophe.
I think Bush was handed one of the most difficult situations, not of his doing, of any president I know of, while acknowledging all things must be measured in their own time. In combination with 9/11, he was handed circumstances leading to one of the worst stock market bubble burstings ever, although the current bubble belongs to no other president, in similar fashion as the failed occupation in Iraq.
Reluctantly, I supported the surge as another least worse choice, and I think any future president had better be careful in the withdrawal. He will have a few bad choices to pick from and I hope he can turn lemonades into lemonade.
PS. Your email address indicated you were emailing from a university. I didn’t think universities allowed Republicans. Are you wearing a mask?