Rumsfeld Link
The Iraq War has obviously been a controversial topic since it started and has loomed over much of the Bush Administration. The Iraq War almost allowed John Kerry to beat President Bush in the 2004 election. The motives and management of the war have been questioned. Most of the administration under Bush is no longer in office, so it has become easier for them to speak on certain subjects. Should they? It seems like controversy would certainly occur no matter how they answer the question.
We talked about this in some way when we talked about people who voted one way and then decide that they were wrong and they change their view. I think it is certainly all right for a person to change their view and I even believe it to be very noble of them since they are in fact admitting that they were wrong. By stating that they are wrong, especially as a politician, they admit that were doing something that would adversely affect the people they represent. That being said, I think that someone like Donald Rumsfeld should not answer questions about Iraq because that affected so many people. It is also something that our country is still involved with currently. The context of the situation greatly affects how it should be handled. If Rumsfeld were to say that Iraq was a mistake then people may sue the government for wrongful death. It is a situation where there shouldn't be comments made until a lot of the smoke has passed over. I think it is similar to Robert McNamara. He didn't really talk about the Vietnam War until "The Fog of War" which came out in 2003. As a private citizen, I can admit that I am wrong and it is all right because not too many people would be affected, but in Rumsfeld case, he is almost protecting people and their emotions by trying to not talk about the situation.
I agree that often political leaders are reluctant to change their views or at least share their real thoughts with the public. This is understandable since we look for these leaders for stability and reassurance. I do, though, feel that it should not be looked down upon if someone in the political arena were to change their views on something as serious as the Iraq War. This shows that, like the rest of us, political leaders are human and have the right to change their minds.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both you and Lauren. While it may seem super stubborn to never waiver on your viewpoints, the people who waiver too much get a lot of criticism too. There is a very fine line between holding your own and being a donkey, and also a fine line between understanding the other side and being a fair weather band wagoneer. Everyone just needs to understand the other side, but stay true to what they believe.
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