Friday, May 07, 2004

Calls for Rumsfiend to resign

They are many. Among them is a voice I greatly respect, Juan Cole.

When high officials commit improprieties, they must resign. When they run a loose ship and it founders on the shoals of scandal, they must resign. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz must resign. It is the only way the United States can recover even a shred of credibility in the wider world, at a time when this country desperately needs the esteem and the cooperation of allies and friends.

Not only would their resignations begin to restore credibility to the United States, it would be an important step toward resolving the Iraqi crisis.
  Cole post

I have to disagree with Cole here. I do not believe that there is anything we can do short of removing the entire administration and replacing it with one who is willing to make drastic changes to move our country in a direction that actually is democratic and a world player on a fair and just playing field (and that is NOT Senator Kerry) to resolve the Iraqi crisis and restore credibility to the United States.

Still, Cole's whole post is well worth reading, and makes many excellent (if not obvious) points. He also has an interesting point to make about just what is happening, regardless of what is being attempted:

You really wonder whether the Bush plan to Americanize the Middle East isn't being turned on its head. We now have an unaccountable government not elected in accordance with the will of the majority of Americans, which victimizes critics like Joe Wilson and engages in torture. Bush and Co. are emulating the worst aspects of the military governments of Egypt and Yemen. They have no credibility to push the latter toward democracy.

Which is just another reason that we would recover very little credibility in the wider world with the resignations of Rumsfiend and Wolfowitless.

In fact, it just might placate and mollify enough people, including, importantly, Americans. And that would not be beneficial. It might even ensure Bush's reSelection.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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