So, of this present war, I think our war-torn forefathers would say to us that both messy Afghanistan and Iraq are better places without their dictators even if they never will resemble Carmel or Austin.
They would add that it is not unusual to be confronted with new crises even after such apparently easy victories. And they would shrug that however scary Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Iran now appears, it poses nothing new or insurmountable to a confident and strong United States that has dealt with far more serious enemies in the past with its accustomed wisdom and resolve.
I said as much in August 2003:
As I've written here in the past, we do what we can at the time. If we try to predict all possible consequences we will be frozen in indecision. We decide as best we can to solve the current problem and accept that future so-called "blowback" will have to be faced by leaders and people we hope are up to the task of their time.
It isn't blowback. It isn't incompetence. It isn't failure.
So criticize away but don't panic at every little mistake in our actions. Perfection is not possible. Thinking that we can fight perfectly and shrieking in panic when we don't is unworthy of citizens of the greatest power on the planet.
This is the way the world works, people. Saddle up and get to work. There are a lot of thugs out there who need to be killed.
