"BRING IN THE WORLD" By Wes Clark....Great, great, great! A must read!

[in_cog_ni_to]

BRING IN THE WORLD.
Key to Success
by Wesley K. Clark


Post date 05.28.04 |

n March 2003, Americans thrilled to televised scenes of U.S. forces moving into Iraq. Well-spoken soldiers, modern equipment, and embedded reporters suggested a sense of purpose, competence, and courage that resonated across the country. But today, 14 months later, the mission is in shambles, scarred by rising Iraqi popular discontent, continued attacks against U.S. forces, infiltration of foreign fighters, mounting civil strife, and no credible sense of direction.

Despite President George W. Bush's calls for staying the course, American public opinion has clearly turned against the mission. Some have already pronounced it a failure. Others, giving up on the idea of a unified Iraq, are seeking to salvage some measure of success by suggesting we break up the country, a proposal that would implicitly reward the Kurds--and invite more trouble later. Still others suggest that we reduce our ultimate objective from Iraqi democracy to Iraqi stability. All the critics warn that, if we don't change direction, we are headed for failure.

They're right: Absent significant changes, we are headed for failure. But the problem is not just that our goal of an American-style democracy is too ambitious; it's also that we've lacked the resources to meet it. Constructing a stable, representative government in Iraq is possible, provided we alter our strategy and tactics. To date, we have relied too heavily on our military to conduct tasks for which it is neither culturally prepared nor well-trained. While our troops should help secure the borders and handle internal threats that are too large for the still-nascent Iraqi forces, they should, as soon as possible, stop policing the country for one simple reason: They're not very good at it. Instead, we need to involve Middle Eastern countries and the larger international community in building a unified Iraq with a representative government that doesn't threaten its neighbors or serve as a magnet for Al Qaeda recruiting and that exerts enough control to ensure domestic stability and promote economic development.



First, the United States must correct the "dynamic of conflict" that it has injected into the region. In essence, the Bush administration has scared Iran and Syria into believing that, if the United States is successful in its occupation of Iraq, they will be the next targets. To the Iranians and Syrians, the implication is that their survival depends on dragging the U.S. mission in Iraq into failure. Furthermore, America's perceived pro-Israel bias, and its failure to engage seriously in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has fed the poisonous atmosphere fueling Arab anger toward the United States and its efforts in Iraq.<snip>

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040607&s=clark060704

[freetobegay]

1. What a great man!

[cosmokramer]

2. Wisdom was never more beautiful...

[Spazito]

3. I love reading his articles...

he writes with a clarity that takes complex geopolitical situations and breaks them down in a way that everyone can understand, it is a rare talent.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. His talents are rare

and he's a rare gift to the Democrats. His brilliance in foreign policy is unending. I so hope John Kerry knows that.

[Jai4WKC08]

4. This article was timed...

to appear in conjunction with Kerry's foreign policy tour. It challenges the Repub line that Kerry won't do anything different than what Bush is doing. Or rather claims to be doing.

[cosmokramer]

6. The man is a sage!

[dogman]

7. When will Bush try to adopt this as his plan?

I think the real problem is he can't and that is why we need a change of leadership. At least if Kerry gets in we know there are solutions at hand.

[sadiesworld]

8. Class act.

Start to finish.
:thumbsup:

[Jai4WKC08]

9. I hope DUers other than us Clarkies

Are reading this thread and will listen to the interview.

Clark's take on Reagan and the Cold War is precisely the argument Kerry wants to use to counter the Bush attempt to link himself to Reagan's "legacy" and to portray his one-and-the-same War on Terror/Iraq as a product of the same moral certitude and courage in defending America.

ALL Democrats really owe it to ourselves to understand the argument. Obviously, most of us can't get away with praising Reagan, nor would we want to, but we sure ought to be able to articulate how Bush is no Reagan.

[Scoopie]

10. My father was a Reagan Dem

but my mother held tight to Jimmy Carter.
I remember after four years of Reagan and several lost jobs later, my father saying he shouldn't have voted for him. Inflation was bad under Carter, but at least he had work.
I don't remember much about Reagan, but these truths:
* Most people who grew up when I did *know* that Reagan didn't accomplish the end of the Cold War alone, but he did have a small, worldly role in it - why can't people seem to remember that this week?
* There were deficits... boy were there deficits.
* Carter was the president who was religious - he was the one who attended church every week without fail. How did Reagan get this religious meme?

I loved hearing how Wes turned the phrase regarding Reagan... it was succinct, to the point and honest.

And, to think, the idiot media STILL says he was "goofy" or was a "poor campaigner." Sheesh. These people need to get out of the Beltway.