I'm grateful to the Deseret News for publishing Robert Hildebrand's superb My View on the manifest failures of the Bush administration. At the same time, Hildebrand did omit perhaps the most damaging and conspicuous fault of the Bush team. I refer to that strange mix of arrogance, ignorance and incompetence that has characterized Bush's diplomatic efforts.
No one doubts that Saddam Hussein was a dreadful tyrant. But removing him will have accomplished nothing if a genuine, viable, functioning democratic government cannot be created to rule in his stead, and that is a task requiring international cooperation. But, of course, the Bush team insists on going it alone, grooming a wanted Jordanian criminal, Chalabi, as U.S. figurehead, and refusing the help of U.N. and NATO forces who are seasoned pros in the difficult task of peacekeeping.
Bush remains essentially an ideological fanatic. In 2000, the American people elected a practical, sensible moderate as president. Unfortunately, the other guy, the fanatic, had better lawyers and more friends on the Supreme Court.
Eric Samuelsen
Provo