Progressive Ruminations

I find myself very frustrated recently. Ok, more than usual. President bush seems to be missing the fundamental point about leadership: it's not about power (you don't really have any - only from people following you) - it's about RESPONSIBILITY.

The most recent talking point on why Iraq has become a bleeding, infected sore in the middle east is that it's Saddam's fault.

Was it Saddam's fault that we didn't listen to our oldest and most supportive allies and invaded anyway?

Was it Saddam's fault that we didn't listen the dissenting voices of our own intelligence community and insisted that Iraq posed a "grave and gathering threat"?

Was it Saddam's fault that we sacked General Shinseki when he (accurately) predicted that any occupation of Iraq would require "several hundred thousand troops"? (The General said is closed session that is would be in excess of 300k troops)

Was it Saddam's fault that we disbanded the Iraqi army without disarming it?

Was it Saddam's fault that we tortured innocent Iraqi's in an effort to shame them into becoming intelligence sources?

Was it Saddam's fault that we refused to plan for, acknowledge or deal with the insurgency while it was still possible to stop it?

Was it Saddam's fault that we ignored the history of Iraq's deep sectarian divisions before we invaded?

Was it Saddam's fault that this administration's anti-terrorism group met for the first time in September of 2001, days before 9/11?

Why do we continue to tollerate this? Why do we allow this President to claim responsibility for the few good things that have happened in his reign, and blame everything other than his people and policies for the bad?

Well?

technorati tags: Leadership, Responsibility, president_bush, lies, Iraq