Powell likens Bush to Reagan for thinking "boldly"

[DrFunkenstein]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush and the late US president Ronald Reagan shared a similar style in terms of their deeply held beliefs and willingness to take bold stands without fear of inciting controversy, Secretary of State Colin Powell said.

"I think there's a similarity," Powell said on NBC television. "President Bush has some very, very strong principles that he believes in. The global war against terrorism, he believes that is the major challenge we have, just as President Reagan believed the major challenge was to bring to an end the Soviet empire."

Powell, who served as deputy national security adviser and, later, national security adviser under Reagan, added: "You need leaders who are willing not just to deal with the problem of the day but to think boldly, however controversial that boldness may seem at the time."

"But these controversies tend to be accepted over a period of time as 'Hey, this is smart. This is conventional wisdom.' President Reagan did the same thing: SDI, massive tax cuts -- all of which turned out to benefit the nation very, very well over time," he added.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&e=15&u=/afp/us_reagan_bush_powell



First of all, I'm not even going to touch on the details "benefits" of massive tax cuts.

My point is rather to go behind the buzzword - "bold." What we are talking about here is replacing the Powell Doctrine (overwhelming force, strong diplomacy footwork) with the Bush Doctrine (pre-emption) and perhaps the Rumsfeld Doctrine (small, rapid forces).

Do you notice anyone mentioning the Bush Doctrine anymore? Does anyone in the media couch Iraq in terms of pre-emption? Sure it was bold, like hanging your nuts over a blender, but it just plain wasn't a good idea.

If any good came of the Iraq invasion, it was proving just how moronic the Bush Doctrine really is. And it is unlikely to be invoked anytime soon, particularly with a military already over-extended. Cold comfort, to be sure.

As for the Rumsfeld Doctrine, well just ask military brass what they think of it. Bold thinking, to be sure, but fairly idiotic.

[DrFunkenstein]

1. Sorry for the dupe.

[rfranklin]

2. They been using "strong" and "bold" quite a bit lately...

when the most accurate words would be "stubborn" and "reckless"

[shraby]

3. Powell drank another

pitcher of kool-aid, and most of it is gone already.

[Moderator]

4. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x616809