USA Today Editorial: "FDR, Bush: No comparison," "'Insult to FDR's legacy"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Posted 8/23/2005 10:40 PM

FDR, Bush: No comparison

As a professional historian, I have read many politically motivated misuses of history. But I have never encountered a more outrageous claim than that of Peter Schweizer, who, in defense of President Bush's attack on Iraq alleges that Bush "adopted a grand strategy very much in the Roosevelt tradition" ("Strategies or diversions?" The Forum, Aug. 17).

Actually, there are no significant similarities between the fiasco Bush has orchestrated and what Franklin D. Roosevelt achieved in World War II. FDR faced a tight alliance of enemies in Japan and Germany. One had attacked us; the other had declared war on us. FDR had no choice but to fight them both.

Bush, by contrast, faced one serious threat from al-Qaeda and its host government in Afghanistan. There was no connection between that threat and Saddam Hussein. Indeed, as we now know — and would have known in 2003 had Bush allowed United Nations weapons inspections to run their course — Iraq posed no threat whatsoever to the United States.

Unlike FDR, Bush launched an unnecessary war of choice, with totally inadequate preparation for the fighting and practically no planning for the postwar period. To liken those blunders to FDR's achievement is indefensible.

Raymond Dominick, Professor Emeritus of History, Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio



"32nd and 43rd: President Roosevelt led the nation through WWII. President Bush launched U.S. forces into war with Iraq in 2003."

[etherealtruth]

1. "FDR, Bush: No comparison" ...

... "Insult to FDR's legacy"

I have no doubt that 2000-2008 will be viewed as shameful years, by future historians. Not exactly the same legacy as FDR.

[corkhead]

2. hopefully we can kick some congressional ass in '06

impeach that war criminal, and bring this nightmare to an end before '08

[lvx35]

3. No doubt.

I was doing a little research recently on communism. Its amazing the degree of clarity with which history sees things that were so hazy at the time.

[calico1]

4. Actually, its shameful to compare bush

to Millard Fillmore.

[corkhead]

5. or Caligula for that matter

:evilgrin:

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. strategy? how about dementia?

The development of multiple cognitive deficits manifested by both:
1) memory impairment
2) one or more of the following cognitive disturbances:
a) aphasia
b) apraxia
c) agnosia
d) disturbance in exec. functioning
e) falling off bikes while choking on pretzels