> Larry wrote:
> How about Goerge Bush, better or worse than Millard Filmore, or Which
> President was more effective in office James Buchanan or George Bush?
>
Effective is a good term. Bush has not been effective, but he HAS
tried and HAS done so with gusto. Unlike many political types, he's
charged down the trail without hesitation. He didn't half-ass it.
Sure his path was a low probability path, but it can be argued that by
actually following through he at least played out his hand, bad as it
was. He gambled, but went all in. Sometimes the hail-mary works.
We may disagree with him, but here's the problem:
(1.) Al Quaeda attacked the US because Bin Laden wants control of
Saudi Arabia and the Middle East but knows he can't have it until the
US is out.
(2.) The US economy has always had one massive weakness: energy. We
can't produce it ourselves and so we need to have a presence in the
Middle East to keep the oil flowing.
(3.) Nobody likes some other country meddling in their affairs so
naturally we created lots more enemies that aren't like Bin Laden but
want us out for hundreds of other reasons.
So Bush's problem is, how do I keep the oil flowing AND create a
stable Middle East. Clinton used a massive diplomacy barrage which
Bush rejected which is why the Iraq invasion plan was ready before
9/11. Bush just needed an excuse to play his hand. And along came
9/11.
So diplomacy hasn't worked and seeding a US friendly democracy hasn't
worked. That leaves the following choices:
(A.) Pull out of the Middle East altogether and hope they don't cut
off our oil. Risky.
(B.) Come up with some non-military way to ensure the oil stays
flowing. Complicated.
(C.) Invade and occupy the region ("stay the course"). Expensive and deadly.
(D.) Figure out an alternative energy supply and find a way to bridge
the gap. Expensive and complicated.
"The Terrorists" don't give a crap about the US any more than we care
about the price of tea in Caracas. They just want us out of their
business.
How we do that AND keep the oil flowing is the question.
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