The inescapable fact...

Cool article on Iraq by Brian Whitaker of the Guardian.
Without the histrionic posturing, it offers a sober and insightful perspective on the war in Iraq. The entire article is very interesting and thought-provoking, but here are the last two paragraphs:

The inescapable fact is that the processes Mr Bush unleashed on March 20 2003 (and imagined he had ended with his "mission accomplished" speech six weeks later) will take a decade or more to run their course and there is little that anyone, even the US, can do now to halt them. In his eagerness for regime change in Iraq, Mr Bush blundered into a trap from which in the short term there is no way out: the Americans will be damned if they stay and damned if they leave.

The thing that never fails to ignite my temper is a blithe disregard for reality. I find myself befuddled by having to prove the obvious, or that which will be obvious tomorrow, but meanwhile has a theoretical chance of a benign outcome.

A lot of people (though not enough) were right about W, and his abilities. In the end, all of us voted one way or the other, frequently basing the decision on the candidates stance on one or just a couple of specific issues.And to this end, I wanted to make a couple of points:

1. Intellectual ability matters! His faith or the quality of his relationship with the Almighty cannot be measured. His IQ, on the other hand, can. And yes, I suggest that that alone shouldve disqualified him from the presidency (below average should be unacceptable THIS should be an amendment to the Constitution. - Hey, let him take the test and prove me wrong.) There a LOT of people that cast their votes for him based on what he DOESNT support (just think of the litany of liberal causeshere). Reason, as an ethical and economic value, is grossly underrated. Reason, not faith, machismo, hatred, or fear shouldve been the guiding principle.

2. Consider pure facts. (Yes, there is such a thing, contrary to what you mightve come to believe watching FOX.) The simplest illustration of the point is the way military records of Bush and Kerry were examined. We dont know (and at this point, will never fully know) just how well they served. The only things that are beyond dispute are the mere facts. One served in active combat, the other one didnt. Its a naked, stark fact. All the commentary in the world isnt worth 5% the actual value of this simple FACT.

Reason and Facts instead of faith and beliefs... wouldn't that be refreshing.