Comments on: Bush’s Vietnam? http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/bushs_vietnam/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:20:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: hairsplitter http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/bushs_vietnam/comment-page-1/#comment-15183 hairsplitter Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=5754#comment-15183 Tony Blair says: <i>"our greatest threat, apart from the immediate one of terrorism, is our complacency.</i> True. Complacency can be a deadly mistake as we learn from the summer of '01 Blair goes on: <i>" When some ascribe, as they do, the upsurge in Islamic extremism to Iraq, do they really forget who killed whom on 11 September 2001?</i> --- What he is talking about? I think he might mean, that there was islamic extremism before the Iraq-invasion, but does he actively have to remind everybody that so far still no link between Iraq and 9-11 has been found? Unlike links to Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran... Tony Blair says: "our greatest threat, apart from the immediate one of terrorism, is our complacency. True. Complacency can be a deadly mistake as we learn from the summer of '01 Blair goes on: " When some ascribe, as they do, the upsurge in Islamic extremism to Iraq, do they really forget who killed whom on 11 September 2001? --- What he is talking about? I think he might mean, that there was islamic extremism before the Iraq-invasion, but does he actively have to remind everybody that so far still no link between Iraq and 9-11 has been found? Unlike links to Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran...

]]> By: akim http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/bushs_vietnam/comment-page-1/#comment-15184 akim Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=5754#comment-15184 It seems to me that both Blair and Bush are actually pretty scared that the public opinion back home might turn against their entreprise in Iraq, or that the ill-wishers around the world might cry victory too early. This is promotional rhetoric. As to realistic take on things, which normally involves a healthy dose of criticism, we only get to hear that from lesser figures in both govs. I don't understand why "staying the course" would necessarily mean never looking at possible mistakes and miscalculations that might require drastic change - is it counter-productive to assess errors and correct course? :-0 --- It seems to me that both Blair and Bush are actually pretty scared that the public opinion back home might turn against their entreprise in Iraq, or that the ill-wishers around the world might cry victory too early. This is promotional rhetoric.

As to realistic take on things, which normally involves a healthy dose of criticism, we only get to hear that from lesser figures in both govs. I don't understand why "staying the course" would necessarily mean never looking at possible mistakes and miscalculations that might require drastic change - is it counter-productive to assess errors and correct course? :-0

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