Scholars condemn Bush policies
Oliver Burkeman in New York
Wednesday October 13, 2004
The Guardian
More than 650 foreign affairs experts, including prominent US and UK
figures, have signed an open letter condemning the Bush
administration's policies in Iraq, accusing it of harming the struggle
against terrorism.
"We judge that the current American policy centred around the war in
Iraq is the most misguided one since the Vietnam period," the experts,
who called themselves Security Scholars for a Sensible Foreign Policy,
wrote in a letter released last night.
They include former staff of the White House, the state department and
the Pentagon, along with six of the past seven presidents of the
American Political Science Association, and academics from the London
School of Economics and Oxford, Bradford, Glasgow, Wales, Lancaster
and London universities.
"You have folks who are conservative, folks who take very different
approaches to understanding world politics," said Stuart Kaufman, the
University of Delaware professor who organised the letter.
"Not only is it a substantial fraction of the entire field, but it
reflects the entire spectrum of intellectual opinion, all agreeing on
this when they agree on barely anything else."
The experts applaud the decision to invade Afghanistan, but accuse the
White House of "a great blunder" in failing to commit sufficient
troops, then fighting a war in Iraq with inadequate justification,
troops or postwar planning.
"Policy errors during the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq have
created a situation in Iraq worse than it needed to be," they write,
criticising "an emphasis on speculation instead of facts, on mythology
instead of calculation, and on misplaced moralising over
considerations of national interest".
They add: "The results of this policy have been overwhelmingly
negative for US interests."
Last night the White House said nobody was available for comment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1326168,00.html
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Florida Patriot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> ...
> > Scholars condemn Bush policies
> >
>
> Scholars condemn everything that every conservative has ever done. Tell me
> something new.
In this case, the scholars are comprised of many conservatives.
Read the article.
"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:MJfbd.1164$6W6.1049@trndny05...
>
> "Jeff Harper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> > In this case, the scholars are comprised of many conservatives.
> >
> > Read the article.
>
> Sorry, but I don't read anything from Florida Patriot. He is just posting
to
> many NGs for his agenda.
You reply to his posts but don't read them? That makes your credibility
much worse than his, especially since he was posting an article written by
an objective third party.
"Jeff Harper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> In this case, the scholars are comprised of many conservatives.
>
> Read the article.
Sorry, but I don't read anything from Florida Patriot. He is just posting to
many NGs for his agenda.
"Florida Patriot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
...
> Scholars condemn Bush policies
>
Scholars condemn everything that every conservative has ever done. Tell me
something new.
"Jeff Harper" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> You reply to his posts but don't read them? That makes your credibility
> much worse than his, especially since he was posting an article written by
> an objective third party.
I'm not looking for credibility, nor am I espousing one candidate over the
other. IMO, they both should decline and give us better choices. I just
don't take my material for making a judgment from people like FL Patriot. I
don't trust their sources to be unbiased and independent.
As for my original statement. my opinion is formed by years of meeting
"scholarly" people and most, (but of course not all) tend to have liberal
tendencies. No scientific numbers, just my opinion. If you agree, fine. If
you disagree, that is fine also and I don't care as it will not change my
life. Nor will my choice of candidate to vote for be swayed, changed, or
reinforced by postings on USENET, signs on lawns, buttons on lapels, attack
ads on TV. I've never attended, nor will I ever attend a political rally
and listen to hype.
The last candidate for local office came to my house. We stood on my deck as
I was cooking dinner and he asked for my vote. I told him no. Maybe I would
have changed my mind had he brought a six pack ;)
Ed
Registered Independent and proud of it.