February 19, 2005
The Great Flip-Flopper
In a Newsweek opinion essay titled Hail to the Flip-Flopper, Fareed Zakaria writes that George W. Bush should be commended for not "staying the course" in Iraq.
The Iraqi elections occurred because George Bush changed course, junked a previous plan and adapted to realities on the ground. In fact, much of the progress in Iraq over the past eight months can be traced to Bush's willingness to reverse himself. The enduring problems in Iraq, on the other hand, developed and grew because his administration doggedly refused to recognize errors and make changes. This is more than a point of historical interest. Going forward in Iraq -- and beyond -- we will need more of Bush's suppleness and less of the much-lauded steadfastness.
Well Zakaria's right, of course. But it would be very helpful -- and certainly honest -- for the President to admit that the original Iraq war plan was a failure and that he's been forced to change his tune to accomodate reality on the ground. That's a sure sign of leadership. Pretending nothing's changed, when everything has, is just flip-flopping. Bush does it as good as any other cynical politician; his vaunted religious pieties and cowboy determination are all just for show.
Posted by glenn
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