My favorite right-wing pundit is at it again. David Brooks writes of the Republican Party's downward slide in public trust with "No U-Turns." (Times Select)
As usual, Brooks gets most of it correct: the Republican Party is still working, largely, as if Reagan-Goldwater ideas were still "operative." Too much has changed since 1989, the last year of Reagan's presidency. The world and the United States have changed, but not enough of right-wing thinking have undergone the same.
The problem with Brooks' presentation today lies in this: (Postwar planning in Iraq was so poor because many in the G.O.P. were not really alive to the truth that security is a precondition for freedom.)
One begs to differ. In 1991, Bush I refused to continue the war effort in order to depose Hussein because of the strong possibility of sectarian violence and an inability to control an Iraqi leadership crisis--exactly the conditions which have come to pass and are obvious to all, including Mr. Brooks and other early neo-con supporters of the 2003. What would come to pass after April, 2003, was clearly anticipated by a Republican administration in the spring of 1991.
To torture the axiom, Bush II should've repeated the success of Bush I--and not moved to unseat Hussein.
Otherwise, Brooks has some interesting points.
David Brooks
Mr. Bush
Republican Party
Thursday, March 29, 2007
A bit of selective memory, Dave Boy?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I had a similar reaction to the Brooks column. It crystalized for me why a real conservative in the Goldwater/Reagan tradition like Chuck Hagel is so reviled by today's Republican party. Well at least that portion of the Republican party that values "loyal Bushies" over conservative principles and seem to be so wildly over-represented on the blogosphere. More thoughts on the column in my recent post "Can Chuck Hagel save the GOP from the Bushies?"
ReplyDelete