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The policy change has begun: from reckless imperialism to prudent imperialism. The signal: the nomination of the malleable establishment fixer Robert Gates to replace as Defense Secretary the intractable neo con Donald Rumsfeld, who announced his resignation after the election results came in.
Establishment heavies had ganged up on W. In October, James Baker, Daddy’s top consiglieri, set the stage by publicly chastising Baby Bush for his carelessness in Iraq and the Middle East. Co Chair of the bi partisan Iraq Study Group, Baker’s piercing presence on the policy scene signified that Mommy and Daddy Bush had dispatched their top servant to rein in their terminally immature son.Baker reprimanded Baby for not talking to enemies like Syria and Iran and demanded the White House revise Iraq strategy. Translated, this means W must abandon neo con fantasies of Washington as Rome and adopt instead traditional bi-partisan policies: prudent imperialism. Instead of sending invading armies into the Middle East against the advice of Allies and Establishment figures, use the CIA, occasional bombing if necessary and always use overwhelming military force – under the banner of the UN, NATO or a coalition of the truly willing imperial cohorts.
Faced with disaster at the polls and horrors in Iraq, Bush obeyed. Indeed, as Baker spoke, the prestigious media had already pronounced that Bush’s “stay the course” mantra had changed into a flexible pragmatic discourse. White House flak Tony Snow assured even media slugs that Bush would no longer use “stay the course” rhetoric. The Times interpreted this as “a new effort to emphasize flexibility in the face of some of the bloodiest violence there since the 2003 invasion.” (Oct. 23)
http://www.progresoweekly.com/index.php?progreso=Landau&otherweek=1164693600