Posted on 10/10/2005 12:12:24 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
Some 60 years ago Arnold Toynbee concluded, in his monumental "Study of History," that the ultimate cause of imperial collapse was "suicidal statecraft." Sadly for George W. Bush's place in history and much more important ominously for America's future, that adroit phrase increasingly seems applicable to the policies pursued by the United States since the cataclysm of 9/11.
Though there have been some hints that the Bush administration may be beginning to reassess the goals, so far defined largely by slogans, of its unsuccessful military intervention in Iraq, President Bush's speech Thursday was a throwback to the demagogic formulations he employed during the 2004 presidential campaign to justify a war that he himself started.
That war, advocated by a narrow circle of decision-makers for motives still not fully exposed, propagated publicly by rhetoric reliant on false assertions, has turned out to be much more costly in blood and money than anticipated. It has precipitated worldwide criticism. In the Middle East it has stamped the United States as the imperialistic successor to Britain and as a partner of Israel in the military repression of the Arabs. Fair or not, that perception has become widespread throughout the world of Islam.
Now, however, more than a reformulation of U.S. goals in Iraq is needed. The persistent reluctance of the administration to confront the political background of the terrorist menace has reinforced sympathy among Muslims for the terrorists. It is a self-delusion for Americans to be told that the terrorists are motivated mainly by an abstract "hatred of freedom" and that their acts are a reflection of a profound cultural hostility. If that were so, Stockholm or Rio de Janeiro would
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
He wasn't worth a damn when in government and he has never been since he left.
I would rather rely on a magic eight ball than this clown's advice.
"Situation cloudy, try again later."
He says the sooner the Americans leave the sooner Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis can reach a political arrangement on their own. No one can be this stupid! Americans leave, Iran comes into Iraq. Want an idiot! Syria next, then IRAN! This is war, finally! Hurry, Russia is arming Syria with highly advanced missles.
Americans leave, Iran comes into Iraq
He's never had it.
That is the truth.
Not agreeing is not enough. If Americans leave Iraq who what nation will come to control Iraq? Iraq's miltary is now weak.
I saw him on PBS one day a few years back gloating about how they got the russians mired in Afghanistan.
Without the Russians in Afghanistan, there would have been no need for the mujihadeen there and no need for the CIA to hire an ahole Islamic to fight them off with.
It's all Zbig's fault. 911 and most of the Al'Queda terror can be laid at his door. Without him and Jimmy, Osama would be just another unknown nut blowing himself up for fun and allah.
Jerk
so true!
Actually, Carter's Secretary of State was Cyrus Vance, until he resigned because of the failed rescue attempt (not because it failed, but because it was attempted), whereupon Edmund Muskie took over. Zbigniew Brzezinski was the National Security Advisor.
Oppps, thanks, you are correct!!!
Although, being NSC makes him even MORE culpable£££
I've been following the career of Brzezinski since he was in the radically inept Carter administration, the administration that, by the way, was directly responsible for the current rise of Islamo-fascism by failing to support the Shah of Iran, thus allowing Khomeini to create an Islamic state in Iran. Now, Iran is the absolute epicenter of support, both financial and political, for Islamic terrorism world-wide. Iran, soon to be a nuclear power, brought to you by the Carter Administration. Thank you Jimmy and Zbig!
Brzezinski is living proof that otherwise educated, articulate, and intelligent people can also be naive, ineffective, and worthless.
If you were to describe Brzezinski in one word, itd have to be consistent. He has been consistently wrong on virtually every issue of foreign policy since the inception of his career. He has been consistently wrong in every prediction he has ever made. Its not talked about too much these days, but there actually used to be, back in the 80s, a obscure award referred to as the Zbig award. This award was given, each year, to the public person who had made the absolutely worst prediction. Among Washington press corps this was a running joke back then. Again and again, Brzezinski would make a wild guess about what would occur if America did this, or we did that. Again and again, he was wrong.
Before the Gulf War of 1990-91, Brzezinski made the dire prediction, in a public op-ed piece not unlike his recent LA Times piece, that 20,000 Americans would die if the U.S. invaded to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait. 269 Americans died. This example of Brzezinski being absurdly far-off-the-mark is typical of his entire career, before, during, and after his job with the Carter administration.
Brzezinski remains today perhaps the most unqualified, most over-quoted, and most blatantly incompetent public personality to have ever come out of a cabinet post. If we are taking advice or public policy from Brzezinski , we may as well stoop to listening to a homeless alcoholic, ranting on a street corner.
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