I can’t fault Bolling’s somewhat cynical assertion that when a prominent Republican says or does something, they are pretty much only considering whether it will give them a political advantage. Whether or not it is a good idea or what kind of effect it will have on the country is largely immaterial. It is a big game, and they are playing to win. Unfortunately, we are often the losers.
And of course, it isn’t just Republican politicians who are susceptible to this disease…
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No one ever remembers this guy…
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/18_blix.shtml
I haven’t forgotten Blix. But in the end he didn’t matter, as the Cheney/Bush administration was hell bent on deposing Saddam Hussein. As Blix himself said, it is very difficult to prove a negative (that Iraq had no WMD), so they would have found some excuse. After all, they did.
Just Me, I not only remember him, I also remember when Bush later said no inspectors had been allowed in to Iraq and I felt like I was living in bizarro world.
http://www.salon.com/2006/03/31/bush_lies/
Politics anymore is like war, and as in all wars the first casualty is the truth.
“What would you have done if you knew then what you know now?” is rather rhetorical at this point, as any answer can be made conditionally and what’s past is past in any case.
Whether the rise of ISIS is the fault of Barack Obama is also rhetorical. GOP candidates will all blame Obama, and Democratic candidates will all blame Bush. No way to prove either case, really, and it really doesn’t matter. ISIS exists.
What matters at this point, and right up to election day, is, “Exactly HOW does each candidate intend to react to the current situation?” If the answer is, “Blame the last guy,” then it’s just another sideshow and THAT is the thing we should be careful of accepting as the status quo.
These problems didn’t just begin yesterday and they won’t be ended overnight, and what would be good for the country would be some thoughtful solutions that depend on people of good will working together. People who are more interested in placing blame than in working together to find lasting solutions should be discarded like yesterday’s garbage, and that includes journalists.
John, what you are saying sounds reasonable, but the Republican candidates (with one notable exception) are all calling for us to carpet bomb ISIS into the last century, which will only make things much much worse. So they are already proving that they are not interested in those “thoughtful solutions” you are looking for.
In addition, Jeb Bush saying that he would have invaded Iraq, even knowing what we know now, shows pretty clearly that he has learned nothing from that stunning mistake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAnSASe_Doo
Charlie Charlie Pencil Game | Real Or Fake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAnSASe_Doo Charlie Charlie Pencil Game