Home Page	Initial World View	Discussion Threads -- Read and/or Post	News Items
	Membership	What Is A Moral Group?	Direct Bush Thread	President Bush News

Bush's Moment of Decision

Source:  Privately Received Newsletter

The GOP ideal of leadership holds that politicians commit the nation to war, but the military makes the fighting decisions. Unfortunately, more is expected of George Bush in the present circumstances -- he needs to weigh in decisively on a debate in the military about how to answer the Iraqi uprising: whether to respond with ferocity and crush the rebellion or use a lighter hand in a bid for the good will of Iraqis.

The call is Mr. Bush's, because the right decision requires leadership from someone in a position of political accountability.

First, recognize that it will be a long time before the average Iraqi does not believe he risks death or imprisonment for choosing the losing side in any political dispute. The only political judgment Iraqis have been conditioned for decades to make is "Who's stronger?" There's no "good will" that can be won that can solve our problem for us. What we offer -- prosperity, democracy and rule of law -- may be things most Iraqis desire, but Iraqis will fall into line with our plans not from idealism but from conviction that we are the stronger force. If he's serious about our mission, Mr. Bush should seize the opportunity to show with finality that the U.S. military intends to remain the arbiter in Iraq. If not, he might as well figure out who the next Saddam is and hand the place over to him.