The bold are helpless without cleverness
Since the following three sentences do not close today’s David Brooks column, baffled readers are left to conclude that his head somehow managed to remain unexploded:
Lebanon is a chance to show that the death cult is not invincible.
To its enormous credit, the Bush administration has kept its focus on that core reality, and it has developed a strategy to reverse the momentum: let Israel weaken Hezbollah, then build an international force to help create a better Lebanon.
Yet, having spent a week on the phone with experts and policy makers, I’d be lying if I said that I was optimistic the strategy will work.
Yep, you read that correctly. David Brooks heaps praise on the Bush administration for pursuing a policy that, while bold, he concedes is unlikely to succeed. Also, I should point out that his premise is that an immediate cease fire would essentially maintain the pre-conflict status quo, as far from ideal as that may be, while the continuation of hostilities could end up sowing “so much instability that it ends up toppling the same Lebanese government that it is trying to strengthen.”
Brooks, of course, prefers to pursue the larger risk that has less chance of success.
Y’know, it’s times like this that make me think a lot of the right-wing could be distracted by a vaction to Las Vegas. They clearly don’t understand odds, statistics or anything, so they’ll just keep plunking away money, certain they’re going to win, when they’re playing “Guess The Number I’m Thinking Of”.
Is that the game Bennett lost all that money on?
“Developed a strategy”? Buh?
Bush Co. brand Firefighting: “Well, we figure, this fire’s gotta burn itself out eventually, so we’re gunna hang back here, maybe roast some ‘mallows, then go in when it starts to really dwindle down, and declare victory. Also, I plan to ask for a raise. Marshmallows don’t buy themselves!”
I long for the days when there were actually consequences to an advisor’s career if he turned out to be, you know, wrong all the fucking time.
Welcome to the CEO presidency.
Clearly, humanity needs another Charles Martel.
Brooks isn’t really too great of a columnist. At the very least, we can be thankful that he doesn’t run things in the White House.
I think if we sent them to Las Vegas they would just move the US Treasury with them. Much better we send them all to Disneyworld. or -Land.
The one with the ‘it’s a small world, after all’ ride, is my point
Yes, nothing weakens a fighter’s soul like success. Good policy – hand victory to Hezbollah and they will destroy themselves with wine, women and wild parties. This must be the loooooooooooooong term approach…
To be fair, that’s actually at least lucid, if nuts, so it’s a step forward for Brooks.
Why should he worry? His ass ain’t gonna get shot off ’cause President ‘Dumbya’ don’t want his Sec of State to get herself all mussed up ‘n stuff by ‘negitatin’ wit dem Ayyyrabs.
David Brooks is, without question, the Prince of AssClowns.
Brooks, of course, prefers to pursue the larger risk that has less chance of success.
If you never try you’ll never succeed, and failure is just success delayed. So go get ’em, Tiger, there’s no “i” in “team”, and you can do anything if you just believe in yourself, with the power of positive thinking.
I blame Tony Robbins.
Brooks, of course, prefers to pursue the larger risk that has less chance of success.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. D-Day was very risky. So was the asault on Europe’s pink underbelly.
In this case, of course, it’s a really, horribly, massively bad thing.
Larger risks always have a lower chance of success, that’s why they are larger risks. And this building a better Lebanon business. Talk about a case of destroying the village to save the village.
I heard Condi saying she has things under control, that there was a consensus. I wonder how a consensus can be achieved without ever talking to Hezbollah. She now acts the part of the great peacemaker after hiding her head in the sand for 3 weeks. She, and her boss, are pitiful.
As July turns to August, and summer grinds inexorably towards autumn, what could be more apt than…
…. a FOOTBALL ANALOGY!!!
In Brooks’ scenario, George Bush is a coach who has exactly one play in his playbook: the Hail Mary. Sure it’s risky, but hey! If that QB can connect with that receiver, it’s end-zone dancin’ time, baby! Never mind that any coach who called the Hail Mary on first and ten, then on second and ten, then on third and ten, then on fourth and ten would be fired before the ball finished changing possession; in BrooksWorld, the quest for glory trumps practicality!
Of course, in reality, George Bush is a coach who sends his team to the wrong stadium, without pads and helmets, and only fields 7 players rather than 11.
Eh. Never mind. Football analogies are too depressing.
I suppose Brooks would give Israel at least two or three Friedmans to polish off Hezbollah.