One Nut Wonder
The debate about Iraq is heating up again, mostly thanks to all the sunshine The White House is blowing these days. I don't suppose it should surprise anyone. The policy machine has been spinning yarn inconsistent with assessments of the commanders in the field from the beginning.
I hesitate to draw comparisons to Vietnam, but there are lessons that should have been learned that were not. First and foremost, the decision to go to war may be a political one, but once that decision is made, politics are over and everyone must be focused on an effective campaign and a decisive victory. As soon as our troops put their feet on Iraqi soil, those in Congress who disagreed with the President's decision, should have said, "We disagree with the President's course of action, but we as a country are now committed to this act. Our supreme and overriding concern is to provide our troops the resources and support necessary to affect a quick and decisive victory and bring them home as soon as possible."
But, no. It was politics as usual. Instead of making tough decisions and getting the job done, something we used to call leadership, policy has been designed to placate the dissenters. Now we have a lingering problem with insurgents that should have been dealt with a long time ago. What will the price tag be by the time it's all over? Had we done the job right in the first place, I'd be willing to bet the final cost would have been lower, not just in terms of dollars, but loss of life as well.
Bush had balls enough to start the war, but not to actually fight it effectively. That would have required a honest assessment of the price tag up front. That would have required a much greater commitment of troops and cash. That would have meant sacrificing domestic goals to achieve his goals abroad. Any fool who knows anything about history and war knows that military success isn't the hard part. It's maintaining order afterward. But Bush was not willing to risk re-election to do the job properly, so he shied away from unpopular decisions to make sure his ass stayed in a cushy chair.
I'll bet there are men who really are missing a testicle who have more balls.