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Originally Posted by aceventura3
Cowboy diplomacy may be simplistic, but it is clear.
In some situations (I don't agree concerning Iraq) you are correct and that Cowboy Diplomacy's overly simplistic view of things may not always serve us well. I stated a few times that Bush became fixated on the Iraq issue like a pit bull can get fixated on an object. He needed something (Congress) to snap him out of it, if invading Iraq and occupying the country was and is the wrong thing. Instead Congress gave Bush everything he asked for, complaining all along the way. Bush was predictable and Congress failed - if you think the war was and is wrong. It is pretty simple. Now, if they want a change of course - it is the same - they need to take a stand against Bush. But they won't for some reason. I think the reason is that they lack convictions.
Personally, that is why I have my wife. She is my check and balance. If she were as weak as Congress we would have gotten into all kinds of things that she saved me from with her understanding of "nuances". So in a weird way I agree. Now only if Congress had more will, to stand up against Bush.
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it's hard to argue with most of this, i largely agree. there was nothing more frustrating in the runup to the war than watching the dems kowtow to the administration in the war debate -- you could tell they felt otherwise, but were cravenly worried about their seats.
i think a part of it now is the same thing, lacking conviction, but not entirely. it really is a dilemma and an unknown quantity how to get out of iraq now that we're in -- the people who say that pulling out precipitously will cause a bloodbath may be right. then again, the people who say that the american presence there is an aggravating factor and that once the US pulls out the insurgency will lose much of its power and appeal to the population -- that may be true too. so it's hard to come up with a principled policy, there just isn't enough information to make a decision without taking some grave risks no matter which course you choose. like biden sez, there really aren't any good options any more, just more or less bad ones. makes it hard to lurch forward with any sort of clarity or enthusiasm, unfortunately.