Thursday, July 13, 2006

A time for restraint

The prominent neo-conservative Robert Kagen argues convincingly in today’s Washington Post that he should put in a straight jacket and held incommunicado in a padded cell where he can do no more damage to himself or others.

Kagan, whose advice and predictions regarding the invasion of Iraq we now know, with the benefit of hindsight, to have been mind-bendingly stupid, demonstrates in today’s article that he has lost touch with the final few strands of reality that he was still able to grasp.

The article begins as one of the typical “If George W. Bush were me instead of out riding his bike” pieces:

Let's imagine, and this is purely hypothetical, that President Bush has already decided that he will not leave office in January 2009 without a satisfactory resolution of the Iranian nuclear problem.

He then proceeds with the typical projections that all who write these “If George W. Bush were me” articles make:
“Let's imagine that he has already determined... that he has resolved... that Bush had made such a decision... he might be engaging... he would have learned... would be sincere... would also know... would genuinely like to avoid... would send his diplomats... would not be bothered by press reports... would be patient... would know he can be patient... would know very well... would know that... would also know...”

And to prove the old saw that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, Kagan ends his delusional fantasies regarding George W. Bush’s thought processes with:
“would be able to choose the military course.”

Yep, Surprise, surprise, Robert Kagan, yes that’s the Robert Kagan who had so much to do with getting us into the Iraq quagmire of death and destruction and its attendant boon for terrorists and authoritarian governments everywhere, wants us to attack Iran.

At this point one might note that perhaps it is the Washington Post that is institutionally insane and in need of restraint. The people making the decisions there are intellectually and morally irresponsible to continue to publish the calls to war of a raving lunatic with a history of catastrophic failure. As we know, there are a good number of idiots, and idiots who control the government, who are easily influenced by that sort of insane warmongering. It’s like advertising booze and cigarettes to first graders. At their stage of mental development, they are all too susceptible.

But back to Kagan's article, get this:
Let's imagine that he has resolved not to end his two terms in office the way Bill Clinton ended his, by leaving every major international crisis -- from Iraq to Iran to North Korea to al-Qaeda -- for his successor.

Yep. For kicks, insert Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and every president who failed to go to war with the Soviet Union or communist China for Bill Clinton. Then imagine that you are the type of person who is unable to conceive of long range goals, plans, or consequences. What would you call yourself if you were that kind of person? Stupid?

Well, yes, but Kagan goes beyond stupid and not just in the fact that he is advocating another stupid war that would exponentially increase the damage he and his coterie have already caused this country and the world. No, Kagan begins by criticizing Clinton for leaving major international crises to his successor and then ends by advocating that George W. Bush bomb Iraq immediately before he leaves office. Just imagine that Bush takes Kagan’s advice and starts a major war just days before the next president is sworn in. Talk about leaving an international crises for your successor!

In a sane world there would be a rubber room with Kagan’s name on it.