The popular question about the Iraq report that Bush received today is this: Will he listen to the advice of the Iraq Study Group, contained within the report? It’s even the cover of Newsweek this week.
Certainly, this is a valid question, as the President has a long record of not listening to advice. But the real question we should be asking is this: Will the President even read the report?
The President may have a record of stubbornness on Iraq, but he has an even longer record of ignoring critically important documents. The most notable occurrance was in August of 2001, when Bush decided not to read a one-page memo entitled “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US”. If Bush refused to read a one page document, how in the world can we expect him to read a report that contains, per the post, at least 70 recommendations about Iraq?
The President has admitted that he doesn’t read Newspapers, and that he has his chief of staff and Condi Rice summarize world events for him.
The President wasn’t even expected to read the entire 9/11 commission report.
The question that MUST be posed to Bush is this: Will you read the report in its entirity?
If I had my way, the report would also contain a list of every American soldier who has lost his or her life for this mistake. Read it, Mr. President.
Outside the U.S. Three headlines On the Report.
Canada: Key Iraq report warns of ‘slide toward chaos’ Globe & Mail
London: More troops and training the key to Iraq exit, says report.
– The Times, UK
Israel: U.S. commission recommends enhanced diplomacy to stabilize Iraq. – Reuters.
Well, well, seems like the other countries that have major stakes in all of this mess in both theaters have already read the report. good heavens, I seriously doubt that bush has the vocabulary to even read it, like you say. He will never understand it, if he tries.
Of course he won’t try to read it, but I don’t think that he’s so idiotic that he wouldn’t be able to comprehend the report.
The real problem is that the man is both too committed to a version of Iraq that doesn’t exist in reality, and will never confront the fact that his vision is actually a nightmare.
Ignorance is much more frightening than idiocy.
zen, I love the way you think. Now I know why you call youself zen…;o) Of course bush is not stupid. I do think he is so yourselfminded that in all of his fantasies, he will never see the truth in anything..I must emphasize the word never. He has been like this all of his life on earth.
Oh I know, never say never…..;o)
Thanks Brenda,
I like to think that, once he leaves the bubble of the White House in 2009 and loses his cabal of syncophantic advisors, he will slowly gain access to the truth of his misdeeds.
He may never admit his error, but at least he will become increasingly aware of the folly of his 8 years in office.
That’s my own fantasy, though.
To paraphrase: you can take the boy out of the bubble, but you can’t take the bubble out of the boy.
Once he slips from the fishbowl — in tremendous relief — I’m personally assuming that he’ll be entirely content to collapse into a self-medicated stupor & play golf unto his very own cancer-induced Rapture.
Thinkprogress finds Gore telling Bush,: Hey,
‘Iraq, It’s not about you.’
“He urged President Bush “to try to separate out the personal issues of being blamed in history for this mistake and instead recognize it’s not about him. It’s about our country and we all have to find a way to get our troops home and to prevent a regional conflagration there.” Watch the video
Also my fav descriptive of where we are is this quote – a reprint from Times Union found The Saudi Times.
replaced broken link at Saudi Times – direct to TimesUnion article here
Is there a Cliff Notes version?
Will he read it? Of course not.
Imho, his priviledged position enables him in his lifelong laziness; in fact, his primary responsibility is to continue to be lazy, so that he may be manipulated by those who can best marry their interests to his self-absorbed world view & the authority of the office bent to their ends.
The fight now is between those interests.