December 17, 2002

Real Change Requires the Preservation

Real Change Requires the Preservation of the Status Quo

The attempt to redefine "regime change" as "lack of regime change" is perhaps the most irritating of all the phony spinning and blustering that has come from this administration on the subject of Iraq. I had saved this article on Colin Powell's latest version of this brazen and embarrassing crime against language and policy coherence, intending to compose some suitably scathing comment; but Bill Quick already has the subject covered, and much more clearly and succinctly than I could manage, so I'm just going to quote him:

Here it is, in official language from the Secretary of State of the United States: "We surrender."

"Regime change" was a bluff all along. Its failure will do just as much damage as the elder Bush's admission that his Gulf War threat to use nukes was also a bluff.

And the most loathesome, indigestible chunk of this craven statement? Trying to blame GWB's spinelessness on Bill Clinton. The second most loathesome? This statement was made to "pacify" a pack of savage feudal tyrannies that hate us anyway. And the third? That maybe GWB was wagging the dog for the 2002 elections all along.

It's time to start shopping for George W. Bush's replacement.


I'm sure I'm not the only one to observe that Bush's apparent mishandling of the Iraq situation has something in common with his incipient mishandling of the Lott situation. In both cases, the Bush "strategy" appears to be: issue a strong statement, sit tight, and hope that when events take their course and sort themselves out, he won't end up looking too bad. There may be something in this, if all you're looking at is immediate damage control. Never underestimate the power of keeping your mouth shut. (Too bad Lott was unable to master it.) In the long term, though, as a method of addressing matters of national importance, its effectiveness is probably no less questionable than its morality. At some point, people are going to start noticing. I want more from a president than timid, barely-competent damage control and a knack for snatching his own chestnuts out of the fire at the last moment. Is it too much to ask?

Posted by Dr. Frank at December 17, 2002 05:08 PM | TrackBack