America's battle to regain respect

The Financial Times ^ | May 30 2004 | Lawrence Freedman

[seastay]

We have reached a turning-point in international politics as well as in Iraq. President George W. Bush is widely seen to have gambled on Iraq and lost. The impact of that loss goes well beyond Iraq. The US has not been defeated in battle and is unlikely to be so but it can no longer impose its will on Iraq because it lacks the moral authority to do so.

excerpt:

This was not inevitable. The arrogance and hubris with which the Bush administration embarked on this war in the first place used up much moral capital.

excerpt:

The alienation of US-led forces from the Iraqi people, starkly illustrated by the pictures of US personnel abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison, began almost from the moment of Saddam Hussein's overthrow and then gathered pace until it reached crisis point in April.

excerpt:

With "pre-emption fatigue" setting in, US military threats can be more easily discounted.

excerpt:

the Abu Ghraib scandal demonstrate the vitality of US democracy. It is by no means clear, however, that the extent of the problem is fully appreciated within the US.

[seastay]

This guy is full of it,

Link to frep his home page

 

Prof Sir Lawrence Freedman
Department of War Studies

Contact

Email:	Victoria.Richardson@kcl.ac.uk
Tel:	+44 020 7848 3984
Fax:	+44 020 7848 3457
Address:	King's College London James Clerk Maxwell Building 57 Waterloo Road London SE1 8WA

[rj45mis]

"This guy is full of it,"

Another slanted leftist evaluation. Abu Ghraib was mild compared to what typically takes place in POW prisons. We should continue to kick butt and take names later. We answer to no one but God Almighty. These people are playing the psycological warfare game to the hilt and I hope Americans see through the deception.

[Jorge]

President George W. Bush is widely seen to have gambled on Iraq and lost. The impact of that loss goes well beyond Iraq. The US has not been defeated in battle and is unlikely to be so but it can no longer impose its will on Iraq because it lacks the moral authority to do so.

Unless seeing a mass murdering tyrant like Saddam removed from power is a loss for the world I'd say this guy has an inverted sense of morality.

What Bush has accomplished already is a magnificantly good deed.
The author of this article reminds me of the Biblical predictions that in the end times men would wax more and more wicked, and become haters of good.

[spokeshave]

Paging Omar Qaddafi of Libya.....pick up the white courtesy phone.........

[section9]

Ah, while I disagree that he is "full of it" (lecturers at the King's College and Sandhurst usually are not full of it), I profoundly disagree with his conclusion of abject failure.

His is a rather fashionable take among British academics, especially British military historians, schooled as they are in the way of the clumsy Cousins. Keegan is the only one who appears to have escaped this disease.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[KC_for_Freedom]

This was not inevitable. The arrogance and hubris with which the Bush administration embarked on this war in the first place used up much moral capital.

I have not seen evidence of arrogance or hubris from this administration, nay most of it comes from liberal elitists who in their arrogance believe that their form of economy (the socialist model) would solve the world's problems, and that we can solve the Middle East problem by isolation and the defeat of Israel.

[Lance Romance]

I sent Sir Lawrence Freedman and email and he has responded, it has been posted this morning.