Monday, February 8, 2016

POOR JUDGEMENT

For a Presidential candidate to think that having been correct, about the Iraq war, validates his judgement, in other matters, may be a sign of poor judgement, in itself.

I was against the war, in Viet Nam , even when the Viet Minh was fighting the return of the French, after the end of WW II, to no avail when it came to making poor choices in other matters.

When the drumbeat for war against Iraq began, a couplet, that I had heard, kept echoing in my head: "This be the greatest treason, to do the right deed for the wrong reason".  I,  too, was adamantly against the Iraq war, but I think that Hillary has, in a way, been getting a bum rap, all these years.  I think that had I been a Senator, on October 2, 2002, when the Senate passed the use of force, in Iraq, resolution, I would have voted the same way.  At that moment, U.N. inspectors were prevented, by Iraq, from doing their job, and not to have voted for it, to force Saddam's hand, might have been imprudent, indeed. The U.N. inspectors returned to Iraq in November, 2002.

As far as I am concerned, Hillary misjudged only the depth of the perfidy of the last Republican president who, himself, ordered  the U.N inspectors out of Iraq on March 17, 2003, and began hostilities a scant 3 days later. 

3 comments:

  1. Your last three posts make it abundantly clear that you are a Hillary supporter, so I will frame my response in that manner.

    You are well-aware that I'm a dove now and always have been. I don't believe that Bernie ever made the claim that his position on Iraq makes all of his other positions valid. He simply points out that he and Hillary disagreed on that issue. If you can prove otherwise, I'd like to see that proof.

    Also, your being against the Vietnam War doesn't account for other poor choices you may have made ... each choice stands of its own accord, no causative relationship is proven. Likewise, Bernie never claimed such a relationship existed due to his vote against the Iraq War as proof that all his other political positions are somehow validated. Again, show me proof that he made that claim.

    In your third paragraph, where you say you would have voted similarly to Hillary, are you trying to use that as justification for her vote? I would have voted against the war, just as Bernie did. Does my agreeing with Bernie make him right?

    Your final paragraph says that Hillary misjudged Bush's deceitfulness and trustworthiness (perfidy). That's simply proof of her misjudgment ... is that to be seen as a positive? I believe that a half million dead prove otherwise.

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  2. If Sanders wins the nomination, I will be an enthusiastic supporter. I am glad that I have been a registered Independent so that I will not have to choose in the primary.

    Bernie, whenever questioned on lack of experience respects a foreign policy matter, refers to the Iraq war. Go back and check the debates. I am precisely saying that being correct once before does not predict future decisions.

    What my 3d paragraph is saying that despite being against the war in Iraq, I would have voted similarly to her had it been my responsibility, under the given circumstances. The shame for the vote should be on Bush and not Hillary.

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  3. Just as you would support Sanders, I would support Hillary. The alternative is one of the Republicans in the clown car ... that's hardly a choice.

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