How Many Wars Will Bill Kristol Hatch?

I was with Bill Kristol and much of the rest of the world on the legitimacy and crucial need to invade Afghanistan and to crush al Qaeda.

But at the time, the Kristols and Cheneys and Podhoretzes of the world felt that Osama bin Laden was too ephemeral a villain for the American public to remain exercised about for very long. So, the legitimate mission was broadened into an illegitimate one -- the toppling of a classic thug, Saddam Hussein, because of non-existent WMDs and historical chips on the shoulder left over from the first Gulf War.

The US invasion and occupation of Iraq has been a disaster for Iraq and America and has the region on the precipice of a potential sectarian convulsion that could undermine the interests of all players.

But as Juan Williams told Bill Kristol last year:

. . .you just want war, war, war, and you want us in more war.

You wanted us in Iraq. Now you want us in Iran.

Yes, Kristol wants to bomb Iran. He wouldn't mind taking out Syria in the process. But like John Bolton, Bill Kristol seems ready and willing to propose any number of new wars.

Now, he wants America to attack Burma. This creates a false dichotomy that should be speared to death.

Kristol writes in yesterday's Washington Post:

What about limited military actions, overt or covert, against the regime's infrastructure -- its military headquarters, its intelligence apparatus, its rulers' lavish palaces? Couldn't such actions have a deterrent effect, or might not they help open up fissures in the regime? Have we really done all we can to avert the disaster that is unfolding?

What Kristol is trying to do is set up a foil where those willing to invade and conquer with no regard for consequences and in the name of freedom are life's true heroes -- and those who suggest that there are better pathways to achieving American interests and the expansion of self-determination abroad are immoral and violate the ethics of what America is about.

While I think that all of these challenges are more nuanced and should not be stuck in silly, binary structures -- the general opposite of what Kristol suggests is true.

Besides, isn't it time for Bill Kristol and friends to step back and ask themselves how they could have been so wrong on Iraq and that its time for some serious re-tooling of both tactics and strategic objectives?

I'm with James Fallows on this who writes:

. . .If I had been vociferously, prominently, moralistically, and disastrously wrong on the major foreign-policy issue of the time -- that is, if I had been all-out in favor of invading Iraq and had been withering in my dismissal of those not man enough to support that step or who said "what's the rush?" -- then I might, conceivably, be a little hesitant before striking similar cocksure poses about new issues as they came up.

But apparently this is just me. Because there is an emerging overlap between those who were 100% sure about the need to invade Iraq, and the certain success of that endeavor, and those who are 100% sure about the need to teach China a lesson about its coddling of the Burmese junta, and the moral righteousness of getting tough with the Chinese.

Warmonger is taking on a new meaning in this new 21st century of ours.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[ajax2]

Bill Kristol will advocate aggressive war (criminal act) until he is arrested for treason.

[ajax2]

Kristol will advocate aggressive war (International crime) as long as he and his family and friends don't serve.

[skwan91607]

So invade Iraq taking over the oil fields, destroy Iran taking also over the oil fields, set nuclear warheads aimed at Russian to be ready to kill them all, bomb the hell of Burma because too much Chinese interests there, and teach China a lesson by military forces and bombing them back to stone age, all of these are needed to maintain democracy around the world, to secure the supply of oil to Americans, to protect Americans from being attacked, to upheld the American big cowboy image, to prove one's patriotism, to show one's manhood, to identify one's courage as a member of republican party, to .........something else god may know. Then, so a nightmare is really coming,

[StillAmused]

Those childhood playground beatings and the incessant bullying certainly took their toll on Kristol.

Think he's anywhere near completing his compensation? This is getting expensive for the rest of us... in more ways than one.

[madprophet]

Everybody who posts here should read Orwell's 1984. He was off by a few decades, but the U.S. is merrily trundling down that path. I give your country another 20 years and your political and social structure will mirror his book.

Right now, you are at a precipice, historically. If you think that posting nastygrams on this website and waiting for 15 months for an election will save your country, think again. You don't have that long to save it. If you end up going into Iran, I think that you will be too far gone for redemption as a country and society.

[NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL]

http://neoconzionistthreat.blogspot.com

http://nomorewarforisrael.blogspot.com

[tmanpugh]

The minimum consequence for being "vociferously, prominently, moralistically, and disastrously wrong" is to be barred from a position of public trust.
Mr. Kristol should get at least what Mr. Imus got.

[Meah]

Imus does not have blood on his hands like Kristol does.

[JohnCitizen]

THE ISRAELI LOBBY WANTS WAR WITH IRAN

ANTI-SEMITISM IS EVIL, just as is anti-any-ethic-group. But what about ANTI-ISRAEL, based on the behavior of that nation?

We Americans need to stop playing word games. For example, if we apply Webster's definition of "TERRORISM" to the already-forgotten recent Middle East war between Israel and Hezbollah, and use OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS, then Israel and not Hezbollah was the biggest terrorist in this tragedy, with 50 to 1 non-combatant deaths for Lebanon vs. Israel (2/3 of Israeli dead were soldiers), and an even greater disparity in terms of infrastructure and the long-term suffering of people. Israel could have fought Hezbollah up close and personal, but instead involved over a million innocent Lebanonese in an asymmetrical war using United States-supplied warplanes and smart bombs.

Of course, the word terrorism is reserved for our enemies, and not part of our terms of endearment with Israel. However, before we consign what happened to Lebanon and its people to "collateral damage" and it completely fades from our short attention span, perhaps we can find a more appropriate term to describe ravaged Lebanon, such as "collateral devastation." As the pendulum of action and reaction/cause and effect swings our way, we won't just sit and wonder why these terrible terrorists hate us and want to kill us (they do 9-11, we do Lebanon, and so on).

Human beings think and rationalize in words. For this reason, words decide issues. Many people use words imprecisely or for advantage, and not for truth. The prime example here, anti-Semitism and anti-Israel are not the same thing. If they were the same, then the Israeli government would be infallible. Israeli tough-guy terror (seen often, even on American TV) is about half the reason the United States is hated in the Middle East. Unfortunately, we have to go along too because no one can speak the truth of words and reality. Our one-sided policy in the Middle East is a disaster.

[PatrickW]

A solution can be found in purging the n eocons and the extreme z ionists from the US political machine. Remove them from all three branches of government. Let us get back to WE THE PEOPLE.

[PatrickW]

Kick them out of positions of power.

[villastrangiato]

I've heard from military servicemen that when so called "leaders" like Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld visited troops in the field, all personnel in the vicinity except the "dignitary's" security detail had to disarm. I don't know how much longer creeps like Kristol and Perle think they can continue abusing our military in illegal warfare. But if what I've been told is true, these chickenhawks are going to need to increase their own personal protection with each new conflict they drive our country into. While a significant percentage of army and marine volunteers lack the intellect to distinguish between the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independance, it doesn't take a rocket scientist for those in the field to eventually come to the realization that they're being ridden like a stuck pig. Sooner or later, the pig will get tired of the abuse and turn the dagger on its handler.

[wsblake]

Kristol is a neoconservative, a warmonger and one of the founding members of the PNAC. The PNAC have been advocating, and delibrately leading the US to war with Iraq, Iran and Syria since the 1990s- all they needed in the words of another member Dick Cheney " was their Pearl Harbor." I don't know if the PNAC somehow had a hand in the events of 9-11, but if they did not, they are happy about that day nevertheless- and that is just as perverse and evil. These men are not true Americans- they are chickenhawk scoundrels and war profiteers who wield their phony patriotism like a club, flailing against any real Americans who stand up to them. Kristol and his ilk are destroying America far more effectively than any outside terrorists could have ever hoped.

[ZingoBonMot]

Many of the original members of PNAC are now involved with the new "Freedom Watch" organization. Wow! Who'd a thunk it???

[Dejack]

Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Charles Krauthhamer, Brit Hume, Tom Friedman, William Safire, Sean Hannity all had a hand in marching us off to war. In my opinion, they are all getting off free, with not even a slap on the hand. We still give these voices prominence as they march us off to more wars. Why do they still have credibility?

[Plowboy]

It is time for us to start kicking these monsters out of power at least. When evil people like that control our countryt, our country itself is evil. It is not bigotry to call Zionism evil. And you left off several other Zioinists: Feith, Libby, Schaife, Bolton, etc., all highly rewarded for their betrayal of trust, and all deserving of the noose for their war crimes.

[godlessclif]

"Congress shall declare war and grant letters of Marque and Reprisal." --U.S. Constitution

[godlessclif]

No war with Burma, and no reprisal or military advanture without a congressional vote. That is what the constitution says and we should follow it.

Weather it is an attack on cocaine dealers in Bolivia, Godless communists in Korea, Bombing
nuclear Iran or some bleeding heart liberal mission to Darfur it should require debate in public and an act of congress to declare war.

[leftLibertarian]

If Bill Kristol wants war he should fight in one. I will pay his airfare to Iran and give him some lessons on how to fire a weapon. He'll I'll even pay for a weapon of his choice.

Hear that Mr. Chicken Hawk in your fancy pants?

[indyhoosier]

Kristol is the classic case of someone that needs to taken out of their bubble, and beaten to within an inch of his life. He should be Guantanamoized, preferably in Guantanamo. He should be an Afghan's bitch. (Do they have pedophiles in Afghanistan? They would have to be one to want to abuse Kristol.)

Kristol and his ilk have no fear of consequences of their actions. The only way to stop them is to make them realize that they do have something to fear from their victims. You cannot appeal to their sense of justice or civility, as they have none. Just once, for openers, a TV talking head needs to reach across the table, and slap the evil smirking grin off that miserable worm's face.

[loslobo]

"Besides, isn't it time for Bill Kristol and friends to step back and ask themselves how they could have been so wrong on Iraq and that its time for some serious re-tooling of both tactics and strategic objectives?"

I've said this before reluctantly I'll say it again. Big oil owns our government and economy.

IRAQ IS GOING AS PLANNED!!!!

A quagmire justifies continuous occupation.
A chronic oil enslavement ensures even the Democrats will allow the "most heinous of all crimes" to persevere.

America has lost her soul. To allow this treasonous, criminal administration to continue is unforgivable.

[scottymac11]

I suppose its our fault for electing Billy Kristol to the high office of uh era ahh. Well he desreves a leadership position because of he served as general in the uh er ahhh. I know he established himself as a tactical genius predicting every possible twist and turn during the Iraq erah ahh. Well no. When you look at his accomplishments. I mean for all he's done for A.I.P.A.C. without our consent There's a wall somewhere in America that he should be lined up against. and UH ERA AHHHH.