Politics by Other Means
by KevinApril 24th, 2006
Time has an article outlining what the new White House Chief of Staff intends to do to right the Bush Administration. Changes in policy are, of course, not contemplated. The list seems to boil down to pr functionality and this:
4 RECLAIM SECURITY CREDIBILITY. This is the riskiest, and potentially most consequential, element of the plan, keyed to the vow by Iran to continue its nuclear program despite the opposition of several major world powers. Presidential advisers believe that by putting pressure on Iran, Bush may be able to rehabilitate himself on national security, a core strength that has been compromised by a discouraging outlook in Iraq. “In the face of the Iranian menace, the Democrats will lose,” said a Republican frequently consulted by the White House. However, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll this April 8-11, found that 54% of respondents did not trust Bush to “make the right decision about whether we should go to war with Iran.”
They think that ratcheting up the conflict with Iran is good for them politically. They believe that to save their presidency, to prevent the Democrats from getting the power of subpoena in the mid terms, and to have a legacy other than the disasters in New Orleans and Iraq. I suspect that this is a sign that the Bush Administration has already decided to attack Iran, in much the same way they decided to attack Iraq months before they announced their intentions. Our problem is that they cannot actually force regime change. All they can do is bomb (at best, a slight delay in the progress of the Iranian nuclear program) or bomb with nuclear weapons (perhaps more effective at retarding the nuclear program). Either option puts the US in a much worse situation without really doing any lasting damage to Iran or the mullahs.
We have an administration stuffed with phony men, men who have played at being tough or successful without actually having real toughness or honestly earned success. They think that chest thumping is a sign of strength instead of weakness and thy have never had to fight for success so they think that they can bully people who have actually had to earn their positions. I have little doubt that they are seriously considering nukes. Nuclear weapons would make such a satisfying thump.
Could you not misquote Clauswitz? Going to war as a distraction from domestic political concerns has nothing to do with what he meant when he said war was the continuation of politics by other means.
SD, go back to sleep. Clauswitz is not misquoted. There is an allusion to his insight about war and politics. Kevin plays off this to make set up his on-target point about a different kind connection between war and politics.
Kevin is right: the administration is comprised of World Wrestling Federation rejects (but the blood you see is real–just not theirs.)
So, given a regime that is working on nuclear weapons and has current and former President openly calling for starting a nuclear war, it’s the GOP who is ratcheting up the tension?
Iran is a nation controlled by Religious zealots
You think this all hyperbull to protect a Presidency
Your the same type who would claim that Iran had every right to nuke Isreal with what they have done to the Palestinians and such
The Politics would not suit you in any way, as long as it was not what you like
Everybody praises Clinton, but he had a better chace to get this under control during his tenure in office.
Clinton led for his benefit/Bush leads for the benefit of us all
History will prove this out