Many conservatives argue that it is weak to admit mistakes. They think that the U.S. should hide our failures, especially in Iraq, so that we continue to be seen as the powerful enemy of terrrorism. These people are imagining a fantasy world--they have disconnected from reality.
First, our enemy is intelligent and generally knows when we are weak and when we are strong. Our enemy can observe that we have lost control in Iraq. They probably conjectured that we would on the day Bush fired the General that advised him to use half a million troops. While flooding into Iraq to fight us, they have also seen how we left Afghanistan before we were finished, and how it is now controlled by a weak governor that we appointed, yet is spiralling into drug cartels and chaos again.
The White House says that admitting failure would embolden our enemy. I dare say that hiding the truth emboldens our enemy much more,"Deny this catastrophic event!" they say. We don't have to admit anything for our enemy to know that we're failing.
For anyone to think that it makes sense for a leader to keep saying and acting as if things are getting better when it's obvious to everyone, including our enemy, that things are getting worse, does not make the leader stronger. It makes him a fool. For our leader to bluff and say things are better, and then suddenly withdraw from Iraq, makes more sense, but is irresponsible, too.
No one has to sugarcoat what's happening in order to deal with it responsibly--to deploy and recruit more troops with a clarified plan to enforce peace. Bush needs to tell us, and his troops, the truth.
The world will follow and come to the aid of someone who has the courage of his convictions.
The world is currently distancing itself from the narcissistic emperor with no brain.
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