Brooksy is At It Again
David Brooks' column yesterday was a huge disappointment. Brooks is the conservative who usually bats for average in the making sense category, but yesterday he was sounding too much like a FOX NEWS echo chamber.
His column was ostensibly about how upset he is that Democrats have been unable to offer an acceptable solution to the Iraq War. This, for Brooks, is just a searing indictment of the Democratic leadership and it makes Brooks ever so sad.
What tripe.
Brooks never bothers to deal with two problems. First there are no good answers to Iraq. Every possible solution is laden with potential downside. Pull out and you may leave behind chaos. Phased withdrawal admits defeat and emboldens Iran. Stay in and the situation only gets worse. Side with the Shiites and you alienate the majority of the Middle East. Protect the Sunnis and you alienate the majority in Iraq. That is why everyone has a suggestion, but no party has an answer. The GOP has not figured a way out, but somehow, as if by magic, the Democrats can transcend this mess.
Second, the Democrats now control Congress, not the Presidency. Their ability to control foreign policy is at best symbolic and at worst non existent. No one is going to gut funding for the war because no one is going to risk under equipping the troops we have already put there. (Notably, the appropriation for Bush's surge, will not even get to Congress until those men and women are already overseas and need guns, bullets armor and rations). Moreover, if the President did not listen to the Iraqi Study Group, why do you think he will listen to Nancy Pelosi or Joe Biden?
David, the Iraq war is a huge mess created by a President with delusions of grandeur and a serious misunderstanding of the Mid East. It is a huge mess made worse by an Administration who bullied forward despite a string of failures (or non victories). Granted there were a lot of enablers in the press and Democratic Party who did not push very hard to stop the invasion, but the bottom line accountability here stops in the West Wing.
Live with it.
Trying to lay this on the Democrats now results in just too thin a case, a bit too much haranguing without facts. Save yourself David. I am sure that in the future the Democrats will do something that is actually unprincipled or non sensical. (They are Democrats after all.) Than you can have your day and gnash your teeth. Rent your garment if you want. But until then, lock Angry David back in his closet.
His column was ostensibly about how upset he is that Democrats have been unable to offer an acceptable solution to the Iraq War. This, for Brooks, is just a searing indictment of the Democratic leadership and it makes Brooks ever so sad.
What tripe.
Brooks never bothers to deal with two problems. First there are no good answers to Iraq. Every possible solution is laden with potential downside. Pull out and you may leave behind chaos. Phased withdrawal admits defeat and emboldens Iran. Stay in and the situation only gets worse. Side with the Shiites and you alienate the majority of the Middle East. Protect the Sunnis and you alienate the majority in Iraq. That is why everyone has a suggestion, but no party has an answer. The GOP has not figured a way out, but somehow, as if by magic, the Democrats can transcend this mess.
Second, the Democrats now control Congress, not the Presidency. Their ability to control foreign policy is at best symbolic and at worst non existent. No one is going to gut funding for the war because no one is going to risk under equipping the troops we have already put there. (Notably, the appropriation for Bush's surge, will not even get to Congress until those men and women are already overseas and need guns, bullets armor and rations). Moreover, if the President did not listen to the Iraqi Study Group, why do you think he will listen to Nancy Pelosi or Joe Biden?
David, the Iraq war is a huge mess created by a President with delusions of grandeur and a serious misunderstanding of the Mid East. It is a huge mess made worse by an Administration who bullied forward despite a string of failures (or non victories). Granted there were a lot of enablers in the press and Democratic Party who did not push very hard to stop the invasion, but the bottom line accountability here stops in the West Wing.
Live with it.
Trying to lay this on the Democrats now results in just too thin a case, a bit too much haranguing without facts. Save yourself David. I am sure that in the future the Democrats will do something that is actually unprincipled or non sensical. (They are Democrats after all.) Than you can have your day and gnash your teeth. Rent your garment if you want. But until then, lock Angry David back in his closet.
posted by Jack Reed at 1:24 PM
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