|
Tuesday, 19 December 2006 16:57 |
| | Bill Walz |
George Bush demonstrated his unfitness as leader of the worldës only superpower in a statement made last month in, of all places, Hanoi.
He at last drew the parallel of our war in Iraq to the war in Vietnam, but being a clueless and ungracious guest, he drew the conclusion in front of his astonished hosts who had fought America into a quagmire, an unwinnable stalemate, that we failed in Vietnam because we didnët have the will to persevere.
Drawing on that lesson, he said about Iraq, "Weëll succeed, unless we quit." In a subsequent speech about Iraq he let it be known he has no interest in finding a "graceful exit," that victory is the only option.
Well
now, we have the Baker-Hamilton report urging changes in policy and
strategy that are aimed exactly at finding a graceful exit, but I
seriously doubt that "graceful" will describe our exit. Not without
actions even more humbling than contained in the study. It wonët be any
more graceful than was our exit from Vietnam. We will escape as best we
can. We will again learn the lesson of every occupying power, that you
can conquer a country and overthrow its government, but you cannot bend
that countryës people to your will.
Bush, and the
jingoistic supporters of this war, believed because we have the most
powerful military in the world, because we are the great USA, we could
take out a dictator like Saddam Hussein, set up a government friendly
to the U.S., and the Iraqi people would be appreciative, becoming our
ally in this dangerous and backward, but economically valuable, section
of the world. It never occurred to them that the dangerous and backward
reality of Iraq would frustrate this grandiose and na?ÿve script.
The reality of
Iraq created Saddam Hussein. We are seeing unleashed anarchy that was
contained only by Husseinës ruthlessness. We are seeing the unraveling
of a false nation stitched together by the European powers after the
First World War, made up of historically antagonistic tribes of people,
their animosities contained at first by a colonial government, and then
by a dictatorship.
George Bush and
the neo-cons let the genie out of the bottle. These oak desk warriors
who love to see others fight wars they can then exploit, donët believe
in learning from history. They believe in making history. It will be
said that they made history all right, a very black mark on Americaës
history.
Bush, Cheney,
et.al. simply do not understand the limits of power. They do not
understand the wise or responsible use of power. Their mindset is
little different than that of a drunken and abusive father bellowing,
"Iëm right because I say Iëm right," who then stands there huffing,
fists clenched, daring anyone to challenge him. It is tragic in the
head of a family, and it is monumentally tragic in a head of state
drunk with delusions of power.
We are neck deep
in a quagmire in Iraq that then extends into the Gordian knot of the
Middle East generally. Bush stumbled us right into a hornetsë nest.
When he disclaims any idea of a "graceful exit," this is a man who
apparently isnët subtle enough to see the truth and irony of what he is
saying. Bush says the only option is victory, but increasingly it looks
like we will exit Iraq with no grace or victory.
Bush and the
neo-cons will blame the liberals like they did after Vietnam. Theyëll
call liberals too weak, even treasonous. "If only we would have stayed
to finish the job," they will say. Just like Vietnam.
How many deaths
does it take to get through to them? Apparently 58,000 Americans and
two million Vietnamese over 10-plus years wasnët enough. (Remember in
the months ahead that the Republican frontrunner for ë08, John McCain,
also believes this.)
The problem
isnët the will to finish. The problem is starting what never should
have been started and can never have the finish that they fantasize.
The ancient Greeks knew all about the Achilles heel of power and called
it hubris, or unreasonable, overreaching blind pride. They also knew it
always ends in tragedy.
ï
Bill Walz is a
UNC Asheville adjunct faculty member and a private practice teacher of
mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness. Contact at
bill.walz-at-worldnet.att.net or 258-3241.
|
