Reluctantly said...my wife was right

When Bush was first running for president back in 2000, she said that, if he became president, he would get us into a war. She said it would be by saying something stupid to a world leader but that has only been a small part of the problem. Actually, she wasn't entirely correct. Bush hasn't just gotten us into a war; he has gotten us into WAR. Unending, hopeless, pointless WAR. It amazes me that when I think the worst of Bush, he still surprises me by being even worse than that.

Do people still remember back in 98 when it seemed like world peace might not be so far away. What warring there was seemed small or at least controllable by UN Peacekeepers. Sure there was Serbia and hot-spots in Africa, but the Middle East was mostly calm and Palestinian statehood seemed just around the corner if they could just work a deal for Jeruselem. How long did it take for Bush to turn that all around? I think the Israeli deal was over before 9/11. Once Israel knew we would back whatever they decided and not hold them to any real concessions, there wasn't much reason for them to work with the peace process. Everything else in the Middle East was already festering. Sadam had to know they were coming for him one way or another and the rest of the Middle East was already tensing. 9/11 was just an enabler. I do not believe things would be that much different if it had never happened. This administration was hell bent to act militarily in the Middle East. Any pretext, real or manufactured, would have done fine. It seems so long ago now since peace and prosperity seemed everywhere.

Right now, I am just happy Bush is keeping his mouth mostly shut about the Israel/Hezbollah crisis (at least when he knows the mike is on). I can't remember which blog made the point but doing nothing is probably the best thing we can ask for Bush to do at this point. He has us pinned down in Iraq so we can't respond militarily to anything or even give a credible threat to do so. We simply do not have much bargaining power remaining. Sometimes doing nothing is indeed the best action to take.