AP/Mohammed Zaatari
Billmon links to a Washington Post story that illustrates something I wrote about a few days ago. In Mideast Strife, Bush Sees A Step to Peace. Billmon excerpts this quote:
One former senior administration official said Bush is only emboldened by the pressure from U.N. officials and European leaders to lead a call for a cease-fire . . . "He thinks he is playing in a longer-term game than the tacticians," said the former official, who spoke anonymously so he could discuss his views candidly. "The tacticians would say: 'Get an immediate cease-fire. Deal first with the humanitarian factors.' The president would say: 'You have an opportunity to really grind down Hezbollah. Let's take it, even if there are other serious consequences that will have to be managed.' "
Nice. Serious consequences that have to be "managed."
I think this quote is even more illustrative:
"The president believes that unless you address the root causes of the violence that has afflicted the Middle East, you cannot forge a lasting peace," said White House counselor Dan Bartlett. "He mourns the loss of every life. Yet out of this tragic development, he believes a moment of clarity has arrived."
Does that sound familiar? As I noted a few days ago, this view isn't new.
"The President, in fact, had said in the first NSC principals meeting of his administration that Clinton had overreached at the end of his second term, bending too much toward Yasser Arafat - who then broke off productive Camp David negotiations at the final moment - and that "We're going to tilt back toward Israel." Powell, a chair away in the Situation Room that day, said such a move would reverse thirty years of U.S. policy and that it could unleash the new prime minister, Ariel Sharon, and the Israeli army in ways that could be dire for the Palestinians. Bush's response: "Sometimes a show of force by one side can really clarify things.""The One Percent Doctrine
Ron Suskind
2006
Remember that this was before 9/11. Billmon is right. Bush is a psychopath.
Posts
9 comments:
Billmon is absolutely on fire the last week or so.
Reminds me why I used to be so addicted to his comments section.
Yeah, me too. I loved that it was a forum for considered, intelligent discussion. I love eschaton, but to me, it's more of a social thing, people quipping back and forth. Whiskey Bar was different. People were thoughtful. (Though at the end I got a little sick of all the poetry and lyrics).
I don't think there's anyone more knowlegeable blogging today.
I try to keep up, but my efforts are feeble next to his. Sigh. I guess he'll always be my hero.
Hey, it just occurred to me that I'm a better photographer than Billmon is.
Woo hoo!!!
(a little pathetic, right?)
Everybody has their role in life. You have Plush and pitchers. He has wicked erudite, thoughful and well written pieces on foreign and domestic policy.
Its too bad that not-Billmon's comments section never took off.
He has wicked erudite, thoughful and well written pieces on foreign and domestic policy.
I would like to have those too.
:(
The Bushies are oh-so-good at managing consequences...
Here are some links that I believe will be interested
Looks nice! Awesome content. Good job guys.
»
Great site loved it alot, will come back and visit again.
»
Post a Comment