Friday, November 25, 2005
Murtha's a hawk like OJ's a Promise Keeper
Somehow, the Washington Post got through this fawning profile of Senator John "The Hawk" Murtha without once mentioning that Murtha's been toeing the "Iraq was a mistake" line since September 2003 (so it's not exactly a 'man bites dog' story that he's become a full-fledged surrender-monkey now, and it's certainly no "about face, as the headline asserts) and that he was one of the first people in Washington to lose his nerve over Mogadishu.
Murtha's a hawk like OJ's a Promise Keeper.
Splash, out
Jason
Murtha's a hawk like OJ's a Promise Keeper.
Splash, out
Jason
Comments:
I'm still in the middle of getting the research down but it appears Newsmax had it right and Murtha was calling for pullout in Somalia after the Black Hawk Down incident. In the 1993 case Murtha had been less hypocritical--he didn't want us there in the first place--but it is telling that the Somalia pullout is one of the key items mentioned in bin Laden's declaration of war against the US.
Murtha didn't seem to learn that lesson.
Murtha didn't seem to learn that lesson.
Murtha's a "hawk" if you consider wanting a big military budget that provides soldiers good pay and equipment they'll never use. He has repeatedly called for withdrawal at any time it looked like the military he 'supports' might actually be used to do what we're created for.
He DOES want big defense budgets that can be used to push taxpayer dollars into his district. His folks love him for rebuilding the local econonmy (after steel crash) through this technique.
He DOES want big defense budgets that can be used to push taxpayer dollars into his district. His folks love him for rebuilding the local econonmy (after steel crash) through this technique.
Murtha opposes OIF because he is a textbook dogmatic Cold War realist (poli sci sense). Realists are traditionally pro-military and pro- National Security. They are genuinely hawkish ... depending on the opponent in question. Realists are also traditionally against liberal endeavors like nation-building and internationalist intervention. The Bush admin's chosen strategy in the WOT, including Iraq, is a liberal strategy.
I bet Murtha is not a fan of the UN and military distaster relief and humanitarian missions. I also bet that if you get him talking about China, he'd be very hawkish and enthusiastic about competing with a 'near-peer' state-actor competitor. The liberal strategy we're employing in the War on Terror, including Iraq, is simply contrary to Murtha's dogma.
Murtha supported OIF only because of the perception of direct 'imminent' threat, which fits his realist dogma. He doesn't accept OOTW, probably not even LIC, or any other geopolitical reason to use the military other than to deal with direct threat or a Cold War type balance of power. Take away the direct 'imminent' threat of Iraqi WMD and for him, Iraq may as well be Somalia. All the other considerations, like liberal reform or political impact of withdrawal? Outside his dogma.
Murtha isn't a coward. He's an inflexible Cold War reactionary.
I bet Murtha is not a fan of the UN and military distaster relief and humanitarian missions. I also bet that if you get him talking about China, he'd be very hawkish and enthusiastic about competing with a 'near-peer' state-actor competitor. The liberal strategy we're employing in the War on Terror, including Iraq, is simply contrary to Murtha's dogma.
Murtha supported OIF only because of the perception of direct 'imminent' threat, which fits his realist dogma. He doesn't accept OOTW, probably not even LIC, or any other geopolitical reason to use the military other than to deal with direct threat or a Cold War type balance of power. Take away the direct 'imminent' threat of Iraqi WMD and for him, Iraq may as well be Somalia. All the other considerations, like liberal reform or political impact of withdrawal? Outside his dogma.
Murtha isn't a coward. He's an inflexible Cold War reactionary.
For any other readers:
OOTW - gruntspeak for Operations Other Than War.
LIC - gruntspeak for "low-intensity conflict."
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OOTW - gruntspeak for Operations Other Than War.
LIC - gruntspeak for "low-intensity conflict."
