I thought this was interesting and wanted to share - Fareed Zakaria - What Bush Got Right

[Dollface]

Compared with the flutters and flurries of the near-daily polls in the presidential race, one set of numbers has stayed fixed for months, even years. President George W. Bush now enters his 23rd consecutive month with an approval rating under 40 percent. (It currently stands at 32 percent.) No matter what he does, or what happens in the world, the public seems to have decided that Bush has been a failure. As a result, both candidates are promising a change from the Bush presidency. Barack Obama, of course, promises a wholly different approach to the world. But even Bush's fellow Republican, John McCain, has on several issues suggested that he would depart from the administration's policies. McCain was last seen with the president at a fund-raiser more than two months ago at which no reporters or photographers were allowed.

A broad shift in America's approach to the world is justified and overdue. Bush's basic conception of a "global War on Terror," to take but the most obvious example, has been poorly thought-through, badly implemented, and has produced many unintended costs that will linger for years if not decades. But blanket criticism of Bush misses an important reality. The administration that became the target of so much passion and anger—from Democrats, Republicans, independents, foreigners, Martians, everyone—is not quite the one in place today. The foreign policies that aroused the greatest anger and opposition were mostly pursued in Bush's first term: the invasion of Iraq, the rejection of treaties, diplomacy and multilateralism. In the past few years, many of these policies have been modified, abandoned or reversed. This has happened without acknowledgment—which is partly what drives critics crazy—and it's often been done surreptitiously. It doesn't reflect a change of heart so much as an admission of failure; the old way simply wasn't working.

Continued at...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/151731/page/1

[dtotire]

1. Too Little, Too Late n/t

[Dollface]

3. Agreed, but a wonderful summation and indictment of BushCo foreign policy.

[tabasco]

2. What a ridiculous puff piece.

Like praising an arsonist for pissing on the fire.

[KharmaTrain]

4. A Good Article, But...

I just saw a Gramps mouthpiece on Washington Journal who is doing her best to try to separate her loser from the other loser...as if the past 8 years was boooshie's mistake alone...and "who woulda known"? You constantly hear the GOOPers try to pin all sorts of the problems first on Democrats (amazing considering they were totally out of power for the first 6 years) and when that dog doesn't hunt, blame boooshie...as if he was some alien dropped into their corrupt party.

Zakaria understates the long-term failures this regime has done to U.S. military and diplomatic power around the world. It's gotten to the point where our ability to affect positive changes will be closely scrutinized and always compared to what has been happening. The damage is deep and will be a major hurdle for a future Obama administration to overcome.

[Dollface]

5. It will take decades and extraordinary leadership to repair the damage.