Hunting The Muse

Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time - Pony Up!

One consistent criticism from the GOP has been asking how the Dems would inspire cooperation and coalition right after saying "Wrong War, Wrong Place, Wrong Time".

They haven't responded to this very well. They need to point out that in matters of diplomacy, credibility matters. Acknowledging that Iraq is a problem is the first step towards solving it. What you have to do is appeal to their reason, and their self-interest. It isn't just a matter of certainty, of claiming that everything is going to plan, in the hopes that reality will catch up to the charade. That's how you lose credibility. When you admit there's a problem, you gain credibility. Then you can reason with your allies that it is in their self-interest to help solve the problem. When the allies see us start to take the problem seriously, it will inspire them to take seriously the prospect of participating in the solution. Right now, they have absolutely no reason to want to participate, because there's been no acknowledgment that there is a problem. How can you be part of the solution when you don't even admit there's a problem?

Posted by Curt at October 6, 2004 03:16 AM