William’s review of Known and Unknown > Likes and Comments
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Nice review William. I really appreciate your objectivity in reviewing a book written by someone who was quite polarizing twenty years ago. I read Rumsfeld’s book about Gerald Ford’s presidency - it was not terrible but I thought he could have done a lot better. That one is a quick read if you have any interest in more Rumsfeld.
His overconfidence was a feature of every war fought by the US since WWII. As Albert Einstein suggested: 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’
Good point Dmitri. Agreed that overconfidence has been a big problem in this area.
That is actually a harder question than it seems. I don't think he advocated for war for sinister reasons, like to profit from the oil. I think he honestly thought getting rid of Saddam was the right thing to do for the country. He was wrong. So if I had to pick I'd say a good guy who made a big mistake. What do you think?
William wrote: "That is actually a harder question than it seems. I don't think he advocated for war for sinister reasons, like to profit from the oil. I think he honestly thought getting rid of Saddam was the rig..."
A kind of dog of war?
That's a good way to think of it Razvan. What do others think?
I just saw your very insightful review. Rumsfeld states early on in this book: As I told George Shultz, “I promise you will never hear out of my mouth the phrase ‘The U.S. seeks a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.’ There is little that is just, and the only things I’ve seen that are lasting are conflict, blackmail and killing—not peace.” Why then, if he took that quotation to heart, was he so adimant about not pulling out of Iraq, and recognizing it for the quagmire it was? Or take responsibility for his hand in it all? Just doing what most DC elites do, which is embrace this modus operandi: “me know nothing, me no tell, me push button, run like hell!” I can’t get past the wisdom of his statement to Schultz vs. his apparent ignoring it for continued involvement. Were there any Secretaries of Defense that recognized their mistakes, and pulled us out before “conflict, blackmail, and killing” became the default mode? I guess what I’m really wondering is whether it’s endemic for DC “business as usual” to foster these conflicts a la John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hitman?
Great questions Debbie. I think since he was so vocal advocating to go into Iraq it was hard for him to stay objective about things on the ground. Do you think that played a role?
William wrote: "Great questions Debbie. I think since he was so vocal advocating to go into Iraq it was hard for him to stay objective about things on the ground. Do you think that played a role?"
Yes.
Yeah the salespeople rarely make the best appraisers.
Does the book discuss Israeli intelligence?
And I include elements within the CIA in my definition of Israeli intelligence.
Yes the book is very broad, covering many topics.
What's the specific Israel and CIA connection you see?
General Clark mentioned that Israeli intelligence has officers embedded there. Israeli intelligence also tries to recruit Jewish CIA personnel, according to retired members. And most recently, the Zionist lobby is getting Congress to pass a law requiring intelligence sharing with Israel.
The book has some related background material.
William wrote: "The book has some related background material."
Noted, with thanks.
The hindsight of history gives us the advantage of more knowns than Rumsfeld had. Rather than judging his mistakes, it is right to note his reaction after the unknowns were revealed to him.
Ya know, I can understand your fascination. I have read several books by, and many books about, Richard Nixon, a man who was effectively the Banquo at the banquet of the years of my coming to political awareness. I read those books trying to figure out how I became the crazed liberal I am. In the end, they didn't really help much; I just have to live with the fact that I have a deepseated sense of responsibility to those less fortunate, less privileged, than myself.
And other days it just rains.
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Aaron
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Aug 05, 2024 04:40PM
Nice review William. I really appreciate your objectivity in reviewing a book written by someone who was quite polarizing twenty years ago. I read Rumsfeld’s book about Gerald Ford’s presidency - it was not terrible but I thought he could have done a lot better. That one is a quick read if you have any interest in more Rumsfeld.
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His overconfidence was a feature of every war fought by the US since WWII. As Albert Einstein suggested: 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’
Good point Dmitri. Agreed that overconfidence has been a big problem in this area.
That is actually a harder question than it seems. I don't think he advocated for war for sinister reasons, like to profit from the oil. I think he honestly thought getting rid of Saddam was the right thing to do for the country. He was wrong. So if I had to pick I'd say a good guy who made a big mistake. What do you think?
William wrote: "That is actually a harder question than it seems. I don't think he advocated for war for sinister reasons, like to profit from the oil. I think he honestly thought getting rid of Saddam was the rig..."A kind of dog of war?
That's a good way to think of it Razvan. What do others think?
I just saw your very insightful review. Rumsfeld states early on in this book: As I told George Shultz, “I promise you will never hear out of my mouth the phrase ‘The U.S. seeks a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.’ There is little that is just, and the only things I’ve seen that are lasting are conflict, blackmail and killing—not peace.” Why then, if he took that quotation to heart, was he so adimant about not pulling out of Iraq, and recognizing it for the quagmire it was? Or take responsibility for his hand in it all? Just doing what most DC elites do, which is embrace this modus operandi: “me know nothing, me no tell, me push button, run like hell!” I can’t get past the wisdom of his statement to Schultz vs. his apparent ignoring it for continued involvement. Were there any Secretaries of Defense that recognized their mistakes, and pulled us out before “conflict, blackmail, and killing” became the default mode? I guess what I’m really wondering is whether it’s endemic for DC “business as usual” to foster these conflicts a la John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hitman?
Great questions Debbie. I think since he was so vocal advocating to go into Iraq it was hard for him to stay objective about things on the ground. Do you think that played a role?
William wrote: "Great questions Debbie. I think since he was so vocal advocating to go into Iraq it was hard for him to stay objective about things on the ground. Do you think that played a role?"Yes.
Yeah the salespeople rarely make the best appraisers.
Does the book discuss Israeli intelligence?
And I include elements within the CIA in my definition of Israeli intelligence.
Yes the book is very broad, covering many topics.
What's the specific Israel and CIA connection you see?
General Clark mentioned that Israeli intelligence has officers embedded there. Israeli intelligence also tries to recruit Jewish CIA personnel, according to retired members. And most recently, the Zionist lobby is getting Congress to pass a law requiring intelligence sharing with Israel.
The book has some related background material.
William wrote: "The book has some related background material."Noted, with thanks.
The hindsight of history gives us the advantage of more knowns than Rumsfeld had. Rather than judging his mistakes, it is right to note his reaction after the unknowns were revealed to him.
Ya know, I can understand your fascination. I have read several books by, and many books about, Richard Nixon, a man who was effectively the Banquo at the banquet of the years of my coming to political awareness. I read those books trying to figure out how I became the crazed liberal I am. In the end, they didn't really help much; I just have to live with the fact that I have a deepseated sense of responsibility to those less fortunate, less privileged, than myself.And other days it just rains.