Judging his heart

Sharon, the Prime Minister of Israel, won a parliament victory for Gaza pull out.  In doing so he alienated a key and highly driven part of his base, to the point of risking assassination and civil unrest while the policy was implemented.  Why, because he is a man of peace?  No, he pursues this policy for a variety of pragmatic, cold, and realist reasons.  He seeks to consolidate control of the West Bank, but on the whole both Israel and the Palestinians will be far better off after the move.

George W. Bush claims to be a man of courage and conviction.   Can you imagine him alienating his base on the issues they care most strongly?  Even if it was necessary for the United States, let alone for some noble cause?  Do I believe the President genuinely intended a democratic Iraq, perhaps with a German or Japanese model of continued U.S. bases and such?  I do.  But he choose a revolutionary path without examining the consequences, judging the costs, questioning his own assumptions, or being prepared to adjust to the unexpected.  Time and again in its pursuit he has mislead, sacrificed liberties, choosen quick and easy paths.  He has made some sacrifices to be sure, but they are not of the level demanded by his vision.  To be good it is not enough to intend good, ones methods must also be good and when they can not be they must be pursued with extrordinary care.  The president has abjectly failed this standard.  He kept saying that being President is hard, he's right, and that is why he fails, time and again.

Is the President incompetent?  Beyond a shadow of a doubt. Is he a villain?  Depends on how you define it.  Is he a coward?  Yes, an audacious one to be sure, but one afraid of political sacrifice.  Instead he has left it to our troops to demonstrate the courage of his convictions.