He was nearly completely right about the war -- before it began. He wasn't a Monday morning quarterback. As usual, he was out ahead of everyone else on the issue.
Read this speech of his before the war began and look at how clearly right he was on almost every count.
Here are some excerpts:
"To begin with, I believe we should focus our efforts first and foremost against those who attacked us on September 11th and have thus far gotten away with it. The vast majority of those who sponsored, planned and implemented the cold blooded murder of more than 3,000 Americans are still at large, still neither located nor apprehended, much less punished and neutralized. I do not believe that we should allow ourselves to be distracted from this urgent task simply because it is proving to be more difficult and lengthy than predicted. Great nations persevere and then prevail. They do not jump from one unfinished task to another."
...
"The foreshortening of deliberation in the Congress robs the country of the time it needs for careful analysis of what may lie before it. Such consideration is all the more important because of the Administration's failure thus far to lay out an assessment of how it thinks the course of a war will run - - even while it has given free run to persons both within and close to the administration to suggest that this will be an easy conquest. Neither has the Administration said much to clarify its idea of what is to follow regime change or of the degree of engagement it is prepared to accept for the United States in Iraq in the months and years after a regime change has taken place."
...
"The events of the last 85 years provide ample evidence that our approach to winning the peace that follows war is almost as important as winning the war itself. The absence of enlightened nation building after World War I led directly to the conditions which made Germany vulnerable to fascism and the rise to Adolph Hitler and made all of Europe vulnerable to his evil designs. By contrast the enlightened vision embodied in the Marshall plan, NATO, and the other nation building efforts in the aftermath of World War II led directly to the conditions that fostered prosperity and peace for most the years since this city gave birth to the United Nations."
...
"Last week President Bush added a troubling new element to this debate by proposing a broad new strategic doctrine that goes far beyond issues related to Iraq and would effect the basic relationship between the United States and the rest of the world community. Article 51 of the United Nations charter recognizes the right of any nation to defend itself, including the right in some circumstances to take pre-emptive actions in order to deal with imminent threats. President Bush now asserts that we will take pre-emptive action even if we take the threat we perceive is not imminent. If other nations assert the same right then the rule of law will quickly be replaced by the reign of fear - - any nation that perceives circumstances that could eventually lead to an imminent threat would be justified under this approach in taking military action against another nation. An unspoken part of this new doctrine appears to be that we claim this right for ourselves - - and only for ourselves. It is, in that sense, part of a broader strategy to replace ideas like deterrence and containment with what some in the administration "dominance."
This is because President Bush is presenting us with a proposition that contains within itself one of the most fateful decisions in our history: a decision to abandon what we have thought was America's mission in the world - - a world in which nations are guided by a common ethic codified in the form of international law - - if we want to survive."
How right does a man have to be before we start listening to him? Or pick him to be our next leader?
The Young Turks
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 2)
16. ed, this is your counter - cybercast news? well lets play along and say thay are credible, how do you explain the overwhelming consensus of scientists throughout the rest of the world? By the way, did you hear that california just recorded their driest year on record?
drew phillips at 4:12AM on Mar 19th 2007
17. HOW COME GOD MADE SO MANY MORE HORSES ASSES THAN HORSES ???????????
jackie at 6:15PM on Mar 18th 2007
18. Yes, these policy cretins are actually more numerous in the denier camp. Look at Pielke, who the NY Times thinks is an actual scientist.
Webster Hubble Telescope at 3:36PM on Mar 18th 2007
19. There is no consensus of 2000 scientists according to the BBC (hardly a right wing outlet). Apparently, the scientists who did not believe that Co2 causes global warming were dismissed from the UN report, but their names remained on the report.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6IPHmJWmDk
Mel at 7:07PM on Mar 18th 2007
20. Al Gore is the consummate politician (Will say or do anything to obtain or hold power). However he does have an impressive resume:
. He claimed to have invented the internet 'super highway'
. He is currently saving the planet for the rest of us, by purchasing pollution dispensations (Global Warming Guru).
. He launched into a 'spontaneous' revivalist epiphany while running for President and just happened to be present in a Baptist Church at the time (Aspiring Rivivalist Minister).
. He is currently ‘chairing’ the position of “Doctor of proper Etiquette for all Political aspirants”. (The Emily-Post of Politics)
Bob Rogan at 9:07PM on Mar 18th 2007
21. Mel asks us to watch some nonsense featuring what looked like a 90-year-old "Lord Lawson of Blaby" and his ramblings.
Jayzus, the thing looks like a Monty Python skit.
Webster Hubble Telescope at 10:51PM on Mar 18th 2007
22. Someone earlier was saying that global warming was crap because its so cold. The overall temperature of the earth is rising and that is a fact. You cant deny that. And anyways doesn't it snow in alot of places in March anyways. And if its so cold why was it 82 degrees in the Midwest one day last week.
thecez at 9:53PM on Mar 19th 2007
23. Al Gore is wrong. It was 2,000 Global Warming Experts, with signatures like Al Gores, Sean Penn, Edward Norton, Angelina, Madonna, etc. Get the picture 2000 Global Warming Experts not 2000 scientist.
Actually there were about six scientist signature's and basically what they are saying is Global Warming is created by and excess of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere and that the Carbon Dioxide is man made. Now there is another side where you have 20,000 scienctist that have signed the Oregon Petition that say hot temperatures cause an excess of CO2 not man. They go on to say that the amount of CO2 contributed by man in the atmosphere is about 15%, and our best efforts with all countries and everyone cooperating would reduce that by less then 2% causing little on no change in global warming.
Now if you don't believe that just ask yourself why Mar's is experiencing global warming. It may have something to do with Solar Flares, but that would be to simple of an explanation. I read the same Global Warming experts that believe global warming is man made, said Mars has changed colors and that is why it is heating up. Now that truly is a stretch. But these are the facts ignorance and hysteria are not options so educate yourself before you blindly support a cause that may not be in your best interest or your childrens. Remember science is science, Al Gore is a politician, Sean Penn, Ed Norton, Angelina, Madonna and the likes are entertainers, let them entertain you.
The future is now, live, love and enjoy life and keep blogging if you don't have don't worry you'll get it.
John
John at 7:39PM on May 11th 2007
24. Remember when they are talking about weather extremes recorded on record. Those records don't go back more then 130 years at the most. And my guess would be as more information was available more informations was kept.
So if your talking about named hurricanes they have only be naming hurricanes about 56 years. The weather is changing, has changed and will continue to change. Don't worry it is out of your control. The US military has been trying to control the weather for over 30 years and they haven't had any luck.
John at 1:29AM on May 17th 2007