Post by Bryan KimmesPost by FL TurboRummy is my hero.
If only for his great ability to bitch-slap reporters asking
stupid/insulting questions.
His handling of the media is entertaining, almost on a Bill Parcells level, but
that is irrelevant. To be honest, he should never have to speak to the media.
Donald Rumsfield should have no time to speak with the media.
Don't be silly.
If he never talked to the media, they would tack a claim that he was
dodging them right on to their other charges.
Post by Bryan KimmesThe issue is his handling of Iraq. I know I don't have to tell you, a war is a
very serious thing, and is not something you can EVER be over-prepared for.
If you take that all the way to its conclusion, you could never go to
war.
You would always have to be sitting there preparing for a war.
Actually, it probably worked quite well back in the day, with the Evil
Empire and the NATO troops facing off.
We still have that situation on the North and South Korean border, but
it is breaking down due to the realities of the 21st Century.
Viet Nam was a case where the old military strategy didn't work.
Rumsfeld had the distinction of being the youngest SECDEF.
He now also has the distinction of being the oldest SECDEF.
At the very least, you have to give him credit for knowing how things
operated in the Pentagon.
Early on, he had the "vision" of transforming the military to deal
with the new "asymmetric" warfare.
As in any large beaurocracy, changing it becomes a huge problem.
People in charge are very understandably opposed to someone who comes
in and wants to make fundamental changes in the way they do things.
It shouldn't be any surprise to find out that there are a whole batch
of Pentagon Generals who hate his guts.
And that was even before the Iraq unpleasantness.
Post by Bryan KimmesRummy told Bush he could deliver Iraq, and at some point Rummy told Bush "We
won, the war is over." Or something to that effect. Bush gets way to much credit
for Iraq, he put his trust in Rummy.
Contrary to the simplistic notion that Bush is "run by Somebody", he
does indeed listen to all his advisors and then makes up his own mind.
There are a whole batch of journalists and pundits that have been
screaming about how he never listens to anybody.
You can translate that to:
"But, But, he doesn't listen to MEEEE !! "
Post by Bryan KimmesSaddam, all his minions, and the "Elite" Republican Guard were all easily taken
care of in under a month. Now what? George Bush Sr. said himself it was a
horrible idea to oust Saddam, it would start a civil war.
Rummy gambled with a lot of lives, American and Iraqi. He bet the house that
Democracy would take hold (this could still happen, but it seems to be getting
worse). Now that Civil War that Sr. spoke of may have started.
Yes, Sectarian Violence or Civil War, take your pick.
I don't know.
There have been confident predictions of that Civil War for quite a
while now, but we will have to wait and see.
I'm sticking with Sectarian Violence for the moment.
Post by Bryan KimmesHow would you grade Rummy on his Iraq performance(to this point)?
I am not qualified to grade him any more than John Kerry is.
My only claim is that I read a lot.
Just to digress for a moment into some gratuitous Kerry Bashing.
This is a pretty stodgy VRWC blog.
I like mine quite a bit more snarky, but this little blurb does well.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110009178
---------------------------------------------
Centipede Mouth
How many feet can John Kerry fit in that mouth of his? Here he is on
"Imus in the Morning" today:
Kerry: These guys have failed America. The people who owe an apology
are people like Donald Rumsfeld, who didn't send enough troops, who
didn't listen to the generals, who has made every mistake in the book.
. . .
Imus: . . . Senator John McCain, he seems to think--he seems to agree
with the Bush administration about your comments. And you know him,
obviously, better than I do, but I know him pretty well. And he
probably knows what you meant, too.
Kerry: I'm sorry that John McCain has said what he said. John McCain's
been a friend for a long time. But I have to tell you, I think John
McCain is wrong about this.
John McCain has been a cheerleader for a policy that is incorrect.
John McCain says we ought to send another 100,000 troops over there.
First of all, we don't have another 100,000 troops. Secondly, if you
send them over there, it's going to do exactly what's already
happened, which is attract more terrorists and more jihadists. Our own
generals are telling us that it's the numbers of troops that are the
problem.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
So the administration didn't send enough troops and it sent too many
troops? If only we had such a decisive, principled leader as
president!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<snarky snicker>
Post by Bryan KimmesWhat percentage of people on RGP would be fired for such a lack of preparation
at their places of employment?
Do you think you could have done a better job of preparing for postwar Iraq
yourself?
I am just as much of an Armchair General as anybody on RGP.
Post by Bryan KimmesI don't think Donald Rumsfield is really a hero of yours.
Bryan
No, not really.
Absolutely no doubt that Bush and his entire staff have made a whole
lot of mistakes in Iraq.
The only problem I have is this:
I can't think of anybody I know about that could start doing it
better.
A whole lot of people waving their arms in the air and yelling, but
not a definite Plan in the whole crowd, except those saying Get Out,
Get Out.