Interesting article. Thanks for posting and thanks for
marking it OT so those that want to filter for that can do it.
I have not heard anyone in the US, either in person or
in the media, claim that Saddam is a good man or that it's not
good that he's out of power. (Many have said that the world
may not be any safer after the war. Whether true or not
that argument is about the other consequences of the war, not
that Saddam was a good person to have in power.)
My own beliefs is this:
+ It's good Saddam is not in power any longer.
+ I'm unsure if the world, the mid-east region, or US citizens are any
safer.
I tend to lead toward not safer, but I'm not sure.
+ I'm not convinced the cost of the war (human, dollar, and international
image)
were worth the result. I tend to think that it hasn't and won't be
worth it,
but, now that we're there, I *really* hope I'll be wrong on this one.
+ I believe Bush and his administration bungled many specifics of this war.
The
list long but my summation is they had no clue how difficult it would be and
because they had to "sell" the war so hard to the American people their
minds were closed / unable to hear those that were trying to tell them this
was harder than it looked.
+ I believe Bush and his administration lied about the WMDs and the extent
of their threat. I know one way of looking at it is that Bush was either
just
wrong about the WMDs and/or that he got bad information from the US
intelligence community. Even if that is the extent of it, he is the leader,
he
has to take the responsibility for the mistakes. But I believe it's worse
than
that. I believe Bush and his administration willfully evaded knowledge and
facts that did not fit what they wanted to be true. That's the next best
thing
(actually worse I think) than lying. At least when one lies, they know the
truth themselves. When one evades reality it's worse.
So, Yes, it's good that Saddam is gone. I'll agree that Bush stopped that
monster and that, as an isolated consideration, that is a good thing.
Have a nice day.
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