2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Hillary Clinton vs Bernie Sanders on Whether to Invade Iraq - 2002 [View all]TheKentuckian
(25,160 posts)Especially someone that is supposed to have a broad and deep understanding of foreign policy.
Iraq was under a fucking aircap and and a blockade, they posed less of a threat to us than Belgium and 70 years of bipartisan policy would be a blaring bright red tell tale that the risks of regional destabilization were extreme.
Being tricked would require both a high level of contextual ignorance and a heaping helping of plain old, unfixable stupidity.
Wrong is at least something that can be learned from, tricked means rock skulled stupidity for folks that are supposed to be in the loop.
For tricked to be a redeeming excuse the story has to at least be reasonably plausible. I've not heard a reasonable explanation for not seeing right through the 3rd grade level lies and nonsense used to sell the whole thing.
I also have to point out in regards to Clinton that there is precious little indication she has learned anything and plenty to indicate she is just a hawk. She was still defending the shit in 2007 and 2008 which I'm calling well past any possible "tricked" window.
All she did was as quietly as a church mouse walk it back a little by finally admitting be wrong with a snippet in a book for fans and supporters and that only because it costed her an election so she had to weakly patch that flank while continuing to be one of the most saber rattling and even scary in a John McShame kind of way people you can find, the best and only reasonable hope is a facade to stave off accusations of being "weak on defense" and "too timid to be Commander in Chief".
Not particularly encouraging because I'm not seeing the crack in the presentation or catching any winks and nods nor am I comfortable with how one gets escape velocity from the heavy drag of the gravity of this multi decade tactic but at least something with at least some internally consistent logic.
If people would at least accept that doesn't at least equal "the dog ate my homework" is best left unsaid.
At least it is reasonably possible for a dog to get a hold of a piece of paper but it is also universally held as weak sauce so we ought to make that the floor.
No way, no how were people as connected, educated, experienced, and intelligent as the likes of Kerry, Clinton, and Biden tricked. Practically impossible particularly for Biden who had all the plum chairs to allow what should be high level awareness and Kerry nearly as unexcusable.
Clinton bugs because it just fits right in her SOP too well. I see a person who is just ideologically at least leans interventionist but it isn't the easy sell it used to be and a good portion of those who can be sold turn sour pretty quick.
Kerry at least had a life story that made it possible to buy a one off/would never initiate fable.