Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Watching dry paint.

Modo has another scathing column up about Bush (sorry, behind the subscription wall).
Newsweek’s Richard Wolffe says he conducted four “freewheeling” interviews with the president last week, and concluded: “Bush thinks the new war vindicates his early vision of the region’s struggle: of good versus evil, civilization versus terrorism, freedom versus Islamic fascism. He still believes that when it comes to war and terror, leaders need to decide whose side they are on.”

The president sees Lebanon as a test of macho mettle rather than the latest chapter in a fratricidal free-for-all that’s been going on for centuries. “I view this as the forces of instability probing weakness,” he said. “I think they’re testing resolve.”

The more things get complicated, the more W. feels vindicated in his own simplified vision. The more people try to tell him that it’s not easy, that this is a region of shifting alliances and interests, the less he seems inclined to develop an adroit policy to win people over to our side instead of trying to annihilate them.

snip

...But W. prides himself on his changelessness and regards his immutability as the surest sign of his virtue. Facing a map on fire, he sees any inkling of change as the slippery slope to failure.

That’s what’s so frustrating about watching him deal — or not deal — with Iraq and Lebanon. There’s almost nothing to watch.

What's frightening is that I wouldn't hire Bush to run a Taco Bell, and in a rational world, no one else would either. He hasn't got the faintest idea what is going on in the Middle East.

2 comments:

flory said...

I'm sorry. I don't care how often I hear "It doesn't matter what she said three years ago, just be glad she's telling the truth now."

It does matter. If all these recent converts to reality had their eyes open three years ago -- and were as vociferous about the truth as they want to be now -- we wouldn't be in this fucking mess.

Too little, too damn late MoDo.

four legs good said...

Hey, I agree with you.

I wish she'd turned that scathing wit on Bush in 2000. We wouldn't be in this mess now.