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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Bush, NeoCon and Pro-War Liberal Blunders That Produced the New Mess in Iraq
The root of this foreign policy fiasco was the U.S.'s heavy reliance on military solutions.The discourse in Washington, as always, will be superficial, partisan, and knowledge-free. The blaming of Obama for leaving Iraq in 2011 will be the Fox News mantra of coming days and weeks (and, judging from the Benghazi flap, for years). Even theNew York Times on Wednesday morning -- reporting that the forces of the extremists, the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, or ISIS, had overrun Mosul and were headed toward Baghdad -- mentioned that this was another blow to the White House's faltering foreign policy. But while Obama has his share of missteps, the responsibility for this catastrophe rests with the neocons of the George W. Bush years and the liberal hawks who can't help but propose war when they see a wrong that needs righting.
Middle East historian Juan Cole explains the tumultuous history in his excellent blog, and makes the useful point that the Iraqi Parliament had rejected the U.S. proposal to keep a residual force in Iraq beyond 2011. Their rejection was rooted in eight years of mayhem that the U.S. invasion wrought. As I have argued exhaustively, the scale of killing was enormous -- likely 600,000 or more Iraqis died in those years as a direct result of the war. That and displacement and impoverishment create and sustain bitterness that no amount of training and equipping the Iraqi army can salve. Many people would ask me why the mortality figures were so important (and a source of contention). This is why. The country was left a ruin, torn by sectarian politics and crippled by mistrust and fear and death. It is easy prey for the jihadists.
The second charge against Obama is that he failed to arm the moderate rebels in Syria, thereby giving the extremists an advantage. Obama should not have encouraged rebellion. The human-rights lobby has been at the center of the Arab Spring fiasco, egging on the rebels and feeding the media narrative of despicable despots that needed deposing. That the likes of Al Qaeda has appeared at virtually every newly created power vacuum to wreak its own special havoc seems to have escaped the notice of every do-gooder from San Francisco to Oslo. The same thing happened in Afghanistan 13 years ago, when prominent feminists argued for war to liberate Afghan women. As my colleague Anna Badkhen points out in her brilliant on-the-ground account, The World Is a Carpet, Afghan women don't need such patronizing attitudes. And, in any case, the Taliban will be back in power in two to three years: war for human rights is increasingly being exposed as an oxymoron
http://www.alternet.org/bush-neocon-and-pro-war-liberal-blunders-produced-new-mess-iraq
Rex
(65,616 posts)The M$M been bailing water for the GOP forever now...that ship should have sank with Reagan. Iraq was a complete crime against humanity and everyone knows it. The 4000 dead troopers don't, but their families do. Hawks always seem to be in the back of the line for death and war, imo. Always pushing everyone else in front.
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)So we have only our side to blame at this point. The public doesn't follow these issues, they rely on the media. Which is why prosecuting the criminals was so important.
I hate to say it, but I will, 'we told you so'. Hard to sympathize when they attacked the Left so viciously for demanding that this country do what it was obligated to do, investigate and prosecute every last one of them. THAT would have informed the people as the the process unfolded, of just how criminal that war was.
But it's too late now and with all the Neocons free to blame Obama, that's exactly what they are doing. Blair has the gall to raise his criminal voice claiming that if only Obama had invaded Syria etc etc.
Now Dems are on the defensive AGAIN!
Rex
(65,616 posts)And the Left got roasted like it does now, almost the same MO. Bring something up and get shouted down. I don't blame Obama for this mess in the least bit...if this was McCain he would already have started WWIII.
Obama said move on, but really hard to do when the last POTUS stole an election(s), failed to protect the country, started an illegal war that plunged the nation into a great depression.
Thousands lost their homes and jobs and lives...4000 troopers dead and for what? So we can listen to Cheney lie on the M$M as they hand him softball questions?
I'm beyond the I told ya so stage...just watching and waiting to see when those fuckers try and travel abroad...seems like they are not liked around the world. People remember a real shitty leader like Blair and Bush.
Not all countries are like ours, some have an attention span of longer than 5 minutes.
JI7
(89,240 posts)and why republicans no longer hold the advantage in military/defense areas among people.
i think the internet is one reason why . the whore media no longer has all the power over what info to put out.
but i agree about Reagan, he has gotten a pass on many things. but i think his appeal is starting to go down.
Rex
(65,616 posts)Kinda like when people say actions speak louder than words. The M$M is a dog and pony show of self serving epic proportions. I agree the internet has helped level the playing field, but that might not last long...the M$M wants to own the flow of information so they can control content.
Reagan, Nixon, Bush...we can only hope they are enough to finally break the GOP camels back.
JI7
(89,240 posts)but there is no way Obama would have won the election if he was going to bring charges against the previous president. it would have been difficult for any democrat but even more so for the first black one.
also look at how we can't even get gun control passed. and the case of bowe bergdahl and how he is being swiftboated.
maybe in the future if this country can become less ignorant there might be more acceptance . but right now we are still backwards.
Rex
(65,616 posts)plays a huge role in it too. Also the intent to be honest and report the news. Something maybe we will return to, when we actually have a liberal media in mainstream press and not the myth the M$M uses to scare the ignorant among us.
People have to learn not to be reflexively scared when they hear certain words. Too much brainwashing by the M$M.
madokie
(51,076 posts)the same players in all three of these administrations were the same people
pansypoo53219
(20,955 posts)demand we have. NO MORE CUTS. 80% on the 2% like eisenhower.
Cha
(296,848 posts)thanks madokie
malaise
(268,695 posts)K & R