Amit Green, be careful of the hubris that has so harmed the left. Bush didn’t mess up *REALLY* badly in Iraq and no objective study of historical warfare could substantiate the claim.

There is nothing that has been done in Iraq that compares badly with any major American conflict in our history. If you have a contrary opinion, I’d love to have that exemplary major conflict identified. In truth, what we have objectively achieved is stunning (and still precarious) — especially given the Saudi Arabian and Syrian and Turkish and Iranian and Russian intransigence and active interference.

More Americans would do well to reflect on that fact and lay down the mythological mindset that sees warfare as either completely incompetent or completely competent. It’s a glaringly juvenile approach. Decisions and strategies will always be critiqued. This is something quite different than messing up really badly.

Every decision taken by the Bush Administration and the Commanders in Iraq you might identify as atrocious has another alternative that might very well have been worse.

To hell with those leftists that want a damn apology.