Ya, he did. But he failed to calculate that the attention span of the American people is about 50 days not 50 years.
I recall talking to a leftist guy in my office after 9-11 about what was going to happen.
We both agreed it was war, both in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was OK with that.
I said it was the correct thing to do , but doubted we would prevail because it was at minimum a 50 to 100 year low level war, and the Western World has no stomach for that kind of commitment. He just thought it should be like a Hollywood movie and it would be over quick.
Sure enough, after a few months, even before Iraq, he was arguing to get out of Afghanistan.
People do not understand a multi-generational commitment necessary to really overturn a culture which is the only way, short of nukes, we can 'secure peace' in the mid east.
The thing about war is the one who dictates the terms wins the conflict. Where W failed is in not being committed to total victory.
If he’d have fought the war with everything in his arsenal, he’d have won. Not a single bomb dropped on Iran. Because of Russia.
He should have told the Russians they crossed the line, bombed Iran, and said ‘Next time they’ll be falling on Moscow’. Reagan convinced the Soviets he’d do it. This is how he won the Cold War.
You don’t fight ‘low-level’ conflicts. You fight and win, or you capitulate.
Financial, military, political, and marketing - you fight on all fronts and you destroy the enemy. You do it quick.
As for the aftermath - that’s handled financially. The card we hold today that we didn’t hold then is the threat of knocking all the petro-states out of the box with super-cheap oil.
We are subsidizing ethanol already. Tell the corn growers to stuff it and flood the market with $20/BBL oil. Then you tell the a$$hole kids at the back of the bus to quiet down and behave or the oil will continue for the next 100 years.
That’s how you keep the Soviets out of Iran, and every other cranky petrostate.
But first, you reduce Iran to the seventh century. You threaten to bomb Mecca back channel. You tell Islam, “Back under the heel or we’ll pull the curtain on the charade by lunch time tomorrow Mecca time.”
Then you go on TV and pardon a turkey.
For too long the world’s been able to poke an Eagle and get away with it. Ever seen an Eagle being harassed by other birds in mid-flight. Three or four of them chase the eagle and take turns attacking it from behind and below.
Time for that to end. What the world realized is exactly what Reagan stated for them - the only way to destroy the US is from within. The White House is fully Iranian. Between Huma Abedin and ValJar, it’s Iranian. Most of Congress is Saudi. Certainly Jeb is.
I don’t think he wants to run. His mom doesn’t. I think he’s being pushed into the race, and has an unlimited supply of money.
He’s Jack Kennedy without the conservatism and good looks. He’s running against his better judgment.