Posted on 04/30/2002 7:13:24 AM PDT by SJackson
Edited on 04/22/2004 11:46:29 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Either President Bush can't make up his mind, or he is running one of the most devilishly clever Middle East policy acts since Richard Nixon last dined with Henry Kissinger. In Texas, we suppose they'd call the latter interpretation the two-step.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I probably side with the latter, but this pretty much sums up GWBs performance from a political perspective.
I do as well, however, I'm sure this post will bring in the foreign policy know-it-alls, who happen to sit in on EVERY White House meeting and know for a fact what this administration is trying to accomplish.
The I don't care what you say crowd, will enlighten us with the REAL intent of Bush, and it will not be to their liking. The Reagan-bots will savage Bush, all the while conveniently forgetting their hero's 11th commandment.
It would only take a little coup in Pakistan and we would instantly get a nuclear-armed enemy. What are we going to do then? What if the coup happens while we have 100,000 troops at Kuwait's border with Iraq? What if the Chinese suddenly decide they don't like us no more?
Please note that there's very little that Iraq or Saddam could do to us. Most of the others I mentioned above could do us A LOT of harm.
Could it be that what distinguishes Iraq from the other 'suspects' is its being Israel's most powerful/dangerous enemy in the region?
Not to belittle the threat of the other candidates but my guess is that unlike Russia or China, Saddam is also delusional. That being the case he is much more likely to do something real stooooopid.
Arafat obviously hasn't studied President Bush too closely, or he'd know not to mess with Texas.
I'd HATE to be on the wrong side of this President!
You could only pull it off if you are willing to take "heat" and let your methodology be dragged through the mud by the media. Basically willing to take the "dumb and incompetent" label that has been applied to him so often, only to be proven wrong when things worked out.
To pull off the latter, you'd have to have very little ego involved in decision making.
I think Bush has demonstrated in the past that he doesn't let his ego or the need for positive press get in his way.
John, fyi...
That, or the fact that junior has to go in and clean up after daddy's failed attempt, to help daddy save face.
RPTR1: Governor, what do you think of the crisis in the Middle East?
GOV: I was saying, just this morning at the weekly prayer breakfast in this historic capital, that it behooves both the Jews and the Arabs to settle their differences in a Christian manner.
Fellow Texans, I am proudly standing here to humbly say,
I assure you .. and I mean it ..
Now who says I don’t speak out as plain as day;
And, fellow Texans, I’m for progress and the flag, long may it fly.
I’m a poor boy, come to greatness, so it follows that I cannot tell a lie.
RPTR2: What the hell did he say?
RPTR1: Same as usual … not a damn thing.
Oooh, I love to dance a little sidestep,
Now they see me, now they don’t, I’ve come and gone.
Oooh, I love to sweep around the wide step,
Cut a little swath and lead the people on.
Now, my good friends, it behooves me to be solemn and declare,
I’m for goodness, and for profit,
And for living clean and saying daily prayers;
And, now, my good friends, you can sleep nights, I’ll continue to stand tall.
You can trust me, for I promise, I shall keep a watchful eye upon y’all.
RPTR1: Did you get any of that?
RPTR2: I hear him talking, but he don’t come in.
Oooh, I love to dance a little sidestep,
Now they see me, now they don’t, I’ve come and gone.
And, oooh, I love to sweep around the wide step,
Cut a little swath and lead the people on.
Melvin P. Thorpe: Governor, why has the Chicken Ranch operation been so long ignored?
GOV: We should be having some acoustic problems in here.
MPT: Aren’t you afraid of possible pay-offs and bribes?
GOV: Melvin, I’m proud of you.
MPT: Enough of this pussy-footin’ governor, what do you intend to do about Miss Mona and the Chicken Ranch?
Now, Miss Mona, I don’t know her, though I’ve heard the name, oh, yes.
But, of course, I’ve no close contact,
So what she is doing, I can only guess.
And, now, Miss Mona, she’s a blemish on the face of that good town.
I am taking certain steps here,
Someone somewhere’s gonna have to close her down.
RPTR2: Do you have any idea what means?
RPTR1: Is that a “yes” or “no”?
RPTR3: It’s a possible “maybe”.
Oooh, I love to dance a little sidestep,
Now they see me, now they don’t, I’ve come and gone.
And, oooh, I love to sweep around the wide step,
Cut a little cloth and lead the people on.
Although an avoided future is hard to see, what Bush may have been worried about is the typical resistance from the Left of any type of war anywhere, for whatever reason. A powerful element of the American Left are (were?) American Jews. But when it comes to the issue of Israel, the "Bella Abzug Syndrome" applies. Bella Abzug, a New York liberal jewish congresswoman, was accused by the GOP many years ago of voting to transfer to Israel all kinds of weapons that she voted against building in the first place.
Now that Bush has supported Israel in its war on the Palestinian people, it would hardly be reasonable for this powerful lobby to begrudge this American President a military campaign against Iraq and Iran, conducted for American interests.....would it?
You may have a point. I think GWB is acting from conviction, however by taking, in his actions, a pro-Israel stance, he may have co-opted much of the opposition to a later move against Iraq. The anti-war, pro-arab and solid dem factions aren't going to support him under any circumstances anyway.
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