Posted on 08/19/2005 9:35:29 AM PDT by churchillbuff
Gideon Rose is the managing editor of Foreign Affairs.
SEVEN months into George W. Bush's second term, it is clear that whatever his expansive second Inaugural Address may have promised, American foreign policy has taken a decidedly pragmatic turn. In practice, the Bush administration has recently begun to pursue interests rather than ideals and conciliation rather than confrontation.
First-term foreign policy hardliners like John Bolton, Paul Wolfowitz, and Douglas Feith have moved to jobs outside of Washington or left the administration entirely. The State Department has regained the ear of the White House and won support for repairing relations with Europe and negotiating with Iran and North Korea. And the Pentagon, overextended and trapped in a grueling counterinsurgency, has taken to rehashing Kerry campaign rhetoric about the limited utility of military force, lowered its expectations in Iraq and sent up trial balloons about withdrawal.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Gee.
And the NY Times thinks this is a "good" idea.
"Good" for who?
These people were moved up into more responsibility and with more outwardly facing foreign policy roles, not "demoted."
Consider the source.
Nothing but wishful thinking and a need to deceive.
Well something is up. We have gone from "Bring them on. Let's fight them over there" to Bolton demanding that Iraq's neighbors stop 'bringing them on'.
Do I have too? I make me sick to my stomach.
Consider the source. What the headline should read is
"NY Times discovers sophistication of Bush Presidency. Apologies for 5 years of misreporting on President.
Which, if you pay attention, people like Rumsfeld have been saying since 2003. Sorry nothing new here.
I don't see how anyone can in good faith that Iraq is a failure -- obviously it is too soon to tell. Even Germany and Japan were not turned around overnight.
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