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The Dangers of Flip-flopping As Official Policy

I say this to President Bush as someone who learned the hard way how embracing the world’s complexity can be twisted into a crude political shorthand. Barbed words can make for great politics. But with U.S. troops in Iraq in the middle of an escalating civil war, this is no time for politics. Refusing to change course for fear of the political fallout is not only dangerous — it is immoral.

That’s John Kerry [1], this morning.

If it’s no time for politics, John, why are you engaging in them?

The policy in Iraq is not broken contrary your constant screaming about it.  Indeed, the only thing that I can think of that justifies that screaming in your own mind is that if you can categorize the policy is broken, you can take part in the replacement crew.

No one should be looking for vindication in what is happening in Iraq today.

Yet you do so, with every breath you take. Even your supporters can see that far.

But here it is, John, and I know you’re not going to like this, but the fact of the matter is, that to the extent that we have been unsuccessful in Iraq is exactly the extent to which we’ve tried to modify the policy to satisfy the antiwar crowd, which you yourself have attempted to lead.  Listening to the antiwar crowd, cost us more lives than needed to be taken to accomplish this task. How does it feel, John, to be personally responsible for the unwanted deaths of American soldiers, for your own political gain?
Your biggest problem right now, is that George W. Bush has thusfar operated from a base of principle, as regards Iraq, and the whole of the middle east.  And that’s a problem for you because you don’t, and you don’t understand people who do.  You flip flop at every slight change in the breeze.  The only principle which you and many other Democrats are led by is whether are not you are in power.  Everything else including the wellbeing of the country and the world, is on the table to you, and of secondary concern.
Who could possibly trust America with foreign policy based on flip flopping and every breeze that comes along, as you insist we should?  On what basis would America’s commitments be trustworthy?

When BinLaden formulated his plans, he looked at our history in Vietnam, as you’ve been claiming you did. He knew that American might would bring him to the brink of destruction… but he also knew what our researchers are now telling us about Vietnam; that we were mere weeks away from victory at the time people like you urged a pull-out.

The people who were commanding North Vietnam’s armies, have been telling us that now for years.  Yet you never seem to include that point in any of your political speeches.  I’d be very interested in knowing why.  More correctly, I know why; what I’d be interested in hearing is you admitting it. I suppose you don’t have the integrity to do so.
In any event, what you propose for Iraq is more of the same.  And that’s the thing BinLaden sees, that you won’t admit to; He knew there’d be people like you that would try to get American to lose it’s resolve. And like Vietnam, he knew you’d likely succeed in your efforts, prior to his being defeated.
A withdrawal, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and a lower place for America in the world.  That is the fervent desire of people such as you, and your nitwit followers.
America does not need such flip-flopping people in positions of power, in this critical time, and we CERTAINLY do not need the likes of you telling real men… real leaders… how to do their jobs.

Dry up and blow away, lightweight.