[Vision2020] Top Ten Reasons for Going to War With Iraq A Different Perspective
Ron Force
rforce@moscow.com
Mon, 9 Feb 2004 17:08:59 -0800
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William Saletan has a different take on the mind of Bush:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2095160/
You Can Make It With Plato
Bush's difficult relationship with reality.
By William Saletan
...In Bush's Platonic reality, the world is dangerous, threats exist, and
the evidence of our senses must be interpreted to fit that larger truth. On
the night he launched the war, for example, Bush told the nation,
"Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that
the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal
weapons ever devised." Russert asked Bush whether, in retrospect, that
statement was false. Bush replied, "I made a decision based upon that
intelligence in the context of the war against terror. In other words, we
were attacked, and therefore every threat had to be reanalyzed. Every threat
had to be looked at. Every potential harm to America had to be judged in the
context of this war on terror."
You can hear the gears turning in Bush's mind. We were attacked on Sept. 11,
2001. That attack exposed a new reality. That new reality changed the
context for interpreting intelligence. Or, as Howard Dean less charitably
puts it, if Bush and his administration "have a theory and a fact, and [the
two] don't coincide, they get rid of the fact instead of the theory."...
... On Meet the Press, Bush handled questions about his service in the
National Guard during Vietnam the same way. Russert reminded Bush, "The
Boston Globe and the Associated Press have gone through some of their
records and said there's no evidence that you reported to duty in Alabama
during the summer and fall of 1972." Bush replied, "Yeah, they're just
wrong. There may be no evidence, but I did report. Otherwise, I wouldn't
have been honorably discharged." That's the Bush syllogism: The evidence
says one thing; the conclusion says another; therefore, the evidence is
false...
**********************************************
Ron Force Moscow ID USA
rforce@moscow.com
**********************************************
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004>William Saletan has a different take on =
the mind=20
of Bush:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D828290401-10022004><A=20
href=3D"http://slate.msn.com/id/2095160/">http://slate.msn.com/id/2095160=
/</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D828290401-10022004>You=20
Can Make It With Plato<BR>Bush's difficult relationship with =
reality.<BR>By=20
William Saletan</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><!--StartFragment -->
<P><SPAN class=3D828290401-10022004>...</SPAN>In Bush's Platonic =
reality, the=20
world is dangerous, threats exist, and the evidence of our senses must =
be=20
interpreted to fit that larger truth. On the night he launched the war, =
for=20
example, Bush <A=20
href=3D"http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030317-7.html" =
target=3D_blank>told the nation</A>, "Intelligence gathered by this and =
other=20
governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess =
and=20
conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised." Russert asked =
Bush=20
whether, in retrospect, that statement was false. Bush replied, "I made =
a=20
decision based upon that intelligence in the context of the war against =
terror.=20
In other words, we were attacked, and therefore every threat had to be=20
reanalyzed. Every threat had to be looked at. Every potential harm to =
America=20
had to be judged in the context of this war on terror."</P>
<P>You can hear the gears turning in Bush's mind. <EM>We were attacked =
on=20
</EM><EM>Sept. 11, 2001</EM><EM>. That attack exposed a new reality. =
That new=20
reality changed the context for interpreting intelligence.</EM> Or, as =
Howard=20
Dean less charitably <A=20
href=3D"http://www.iptv.org/iowapress/transcripts/CandWithYepsen/CDY2409.=
rtf"=20
target=3D_blank>puts it</A>, if Bush and his administration "have a =
theory and a=20
fact, and [the two] don't coincide, they get rid of the fact instead of =
the=20
theory."<SPAN class=3D828290401-10022004>...</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=3D828290401-10022004><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>...<!--StartFragment --><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" =
color=3D#000000=20
size=3D3> On <EM>Meet the Press</EM>, Bush handled questions about his =
service in=20
the National Guard during Vietnam the same way. Russert reminded Bush, =
"The=20
<EM>Boston Globe</EM> and the Associated Press have gone through some of =
their=20
records and said there's no evidence that you reported to duty in =
Alabama during=20
the summer and fall of 1972." Bush replied, "Yeah, they're just wrong. =
There may=20
be no evidence, but I did report. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been =
honorably=20
discharged." That's the Bush syllogism: The evidence says one thing; the =
conclusion says another; therefore, the evidence is=20
false...</FONT></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<P><FONT size=3D2>**********************************************<BR>Ron=20
Force Moscow =
ID <SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004>USA</SPAN> </FONT></P>
<P><A href=3D"mailto:rforce@moscow.com">rforce@<SPAN=20
class=3D828290401-10022004>moscow.com</A></SPAN><BR><BR>*****************=
*****************************=20
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