Iraq Backstory pt2

Incompetence

An understatement

Stunning Unders t a t m e n t

Stop focus remember: NEVER attribute to conspiracy what you can explained by incompetence.

I was not terrible happy by the tone of inevitable failure. First the whole thing with troop levels. It seems the whole idea that Bush was in a room and would tell the commanders don't ask for more troops. Ask do you need more troops and they would say no. He would go out and say if they ask for more they will get more kind of thing didn't happen. I had an impression that a lot of people were hinting at that. Not the case. As much as i hate to say it Bush does seem to an absentee father in this thing. Some of it is probable the truth and some is just the way this show was put together. Second moving on I never got the go in clear every one out and leave an area. I have watched enough history to know that is not going to work. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure that out. You have the green zone clear. Clear a ring around that, secure the perimeters, repeat. Not quit that simple but really.

The other questions that i haven't quit figured out yet. Electricity and other essentials still aren't 100% yet. If i asked GE of whoever for a couple power plants and a working electrical grid in say 18 months, at the beginning it would be fix what is there in six, i will pay you pay you twice what is worth and the original cost if your people are gone and the Iraqis are running it them selves in say another six. I hope after the initial bs they didn't think they could do it on the cheap, but it looks that way. If the electric fails here its back up in a month top. Not the same and not that simple i know. But with enough money and a couple of brain cells it would get done. where is that mentality? Who in the world doesn't realize that there needs to be one guy over the civil and military for the reconstruction of an entire country. It could have been someone appointed, one of the general, Powell, Rice, Rumsfeld or bush but it had to be someone, one not a many.

There was a wonderful saying from scout, a little cheesy yes, failing to planning is planning to fail. Simple and accurate. Somehow people at the top didn't learn that lesson, maybe the communication was just that bad, maybe it is just a massive lack of leadership, something else you learn in scouts. i suspect it was some of each. In the end the leader needs to lead and if he doesn't, when its this important the people under him need to scream, then quit if no one listens and to every member of congress and explain the problem. If that doesn't work go to the press. The blame in the beginning falls mainly on Bush, but there is plenty to go around.

Added update: Agree or not he is a man of reason and is well informed. he makes some of the same points as I, he does much much better than i




The latter crap a year or so in to now is DC's fault mainly. How about this step away from the microphones, sit in a room, come up with some constructive ideas and rally people around winning. You, congress had to have a better idea of what was happening than the public in general don't talk do. The snipping continues even now. It seems to be going better now even with the latest up tic.

It is a horrible shame that we lost this chance to show American strength to the world. Three mistakes and it was over. Bush not standing up and letting fools run him over, disbanding the military and de-Baathification. I think it will eventually sort it self out. No one can now just remove the troops and let it all go to hell and add any more shame to this country and its military. i worry now that when we do leave there will be a weak government left behind that falls in a few years and we start over basically were we started or worse.

So Fora.tv has quit a number of interviews, Q&As and panels. There even one with Anthony Boudain, just for a little break.

This one is pretty on point about Iraq now and its future. Insightful and not stuff i had really heard before. What he says about the future of military history in schools is sad at the least.