by James Glaser
December 8, 2006

The rest of that quote from Proverbs 16:18 goes, "and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Here we are in a war in Iraq, that we are not going to win. It is hard for anyone to admit that they made a mistake. When your mistake costs the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians on the other side, plus thousands of your own people, and you know that mistake is going to be your legacy throughout history, it is very hard to take ownership of it.

George Bush is in that position today. He has lost his war in Iraq. Day after day he keeps talking about victory and how everyone else is wrong. It is understandable that President Bush is having a hard time with this loss.

Remember, the United States of America is without a doubt the most powerful nation in the history of the world. Remember too, in Iraq, we attacked a nation without an air force or navy. Iraq was a pitiful third world nation that had been living under an arms embargo for the ten years preceding George Bush's attack. There is just no way that America could lose this war. Bush's advisors told him that the war would be a "slam dunk."

Now almost four years later, George Bush is being asked to admit that America has lost another war. If you think about it, history will judge Bush's whole presidency on this war.

"Pride and a haughty spirit" describe George Bush very well. Unable in the past to ever admit to making any sort of mistake, President Bush will now resist admitting to a mistake in attacking Iraq as long as there is any shred of a chance to pass the blame on to another.

If Bush can keep American troops fighting until the end of his term, he will be able to pass the blame or at least share part of it with whomever is elected president next.

At this point in time, with hundreds of thousands losing their lives, the maiming of untold numbers, the displacement of over a million, and the total psychological damage inflicted on everyone in Iraq, what does it matter to George Bush if a few more thousand American troops die in his effort to pass the buck. The man is covered in innocent blood, his reputation along with that of the United States is about as tarnished as it can get.

Foolish pride will keep us in Iraq for years to come.

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