Wed - March 12, 2008Failure in LeadershipTwo headlines in the news today are indicators of
the extent of the failure of leadership by George Bush. Admiral Fallon has
resigned as head of the Central Command and Al Franken might become a US
Senator.
These two seemingly disparate issues show that Bush has no influence on the public conversation in this country. Adm Fallon has been reported in
Esquire
magazine as being opposed to taking military action against Iran. Fallon denies
this is true and counters that because of this wide spread misperception that
his presence in CentCom has been a distraction to Bush's control of the
military.
Whether this is true or not, the fact is that a magazine has been influential in disrupting the military heirarchy. There are two possiblities: That the article is correct, or that the article is not correct. Both possibilities point to a failure in the Bush administration. If the article is correct, then Bush has put a man in power that fundamentally disagrees with his policies. If the article is incorrect, then Bush has failed to communicate what he's doing to the public and has allowed a rogue magazine article to misinform the public. Al Franken is an ignoramus. He has personally sullied the political discourse in this country to an unbelievable low. He's not a "progressive" so much as he's an immature, illogical, name-calling screamer. That someone like him can be listened to is a symptom that Bush has been a complete failure in communicating his policies and the ideas of freedom that we need to share with the world, especially the Islamic world. Our country used to have a strong belief in itself as a bastion of freedom in the world. Rugged individualism and freedom were our birthright and we were just and right to encourage others to emulate our example. Now we have lost all moral highground by adopting socialism, thanks to many but especially thanks to Bush and his daddy. We have lost all moral highground by endorsing the mistreatment of prisoners with torture. Bush and his followers even deny that it is torture when the fact is that we executed Japanese soldiers for war crimes solely for using the same methods on our soldiers in WWII. The war to eradicate fanatical Islam and bring freedom to an oppressed part of the globe is a great quest, one that will be difficult and long, but will eventually transform that part of the world. It is the only way to bring peace to the middle east. Israel has proven that placating terrorists only results in decades of unabated terrorism. Killing terrorists removes the problem by eradicating the ideas. There should not be one single American who doesn't understand this point. But Bush doesn't have the ability or interest in communicating this moral clarity. The single most vivid act that characterizes Bush is actually one committed by his father. In his debates with Bill Clinton in 1992, Bush got bored and looked at his watch. Bush is just like his daddy. He thinks he has an imperial right to be president and that Americans should know this. Communicating and convincing us is beneath him. Well, his Admiral is resigning. Al Franken might be elected to the Senate. What a pathetic situation he's gotten us into. Go Back to the Start, Do Not Collect $200 Send me your two cents | |