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Townhall...
True Believers
By Bill O’Reilly
Presidents Obama and Bush the Younger have one striking similarity:
self-assurance. After speaking with both men recently, I am firmly
convinced that they are convinced their policies are/were right for the
nation.
Let’s take Bush first. The Iraq War has cost America more than $750
billion since it began in March 2003. So far, more than 4,400 Americans
have been killed in that country, in addition to the approximately
32,000 who have been wounded. Many of those wounds are life-altering.
Yet Bush thinks the great sacrifice was worth it because Saddam Hussein
is dead and Iraq is on the road to democracy. There is not an argument
in the world that could dissuade Bush from this belief.
It is likewise with Obama. He sincerely believes the country was on the
verge of another Great Depression when he took office, and that the
massive federal spending he has championed prevented economic
catastrophe. Again, there is no way anyone is going to persuade the
president otherwise.
Strong leadership requires a sense of certainty. In order to motivate
folks to support your vision, you must demonstrate bold conviction.
Gen. George Patton, for example, convinced his troops that they were
better than the German “Huns.” His confidence was contagious, and
victories emerged.
But what happens when a person’s conviction is wrong? There is no
question that Hussein could have been destroyed by other means. Surely,
the world is a better place without him. But would most Americans
support the Iraq invasion if we could do it all over? I don’t think so.
In hindsight, the Iraq situation should have been handled by the Air
Force and the Navy. Hussein’s regime could have been strangled without
so much American blood.
Things are a bit murkier on the economic front. Since the Obama
administration has been in power, the feds have spent an astounding $7
trillion. This has left the United States vulnerable in the world
marketplace because we need to borrow so much money from nations like
China. The massive $14 trillion debt has now become as big a threat as
the economic meltdown of three years ago. No matter how you frame the
issue, federal spending must be cut back, and Obama has to know this.
But, like Bush, the president does not regret his controversial
policies.
Presidents Obama and Bush are true believers. Bush says he did his
best, and that’s the end of the story. Because Obama’s story continues
to unfold, he must continue to sell his policies as wise and effective.
The problem is problems. Sometimes they are so overwhelming that
people, even presidents, simply cannot solve them.
Even if they believe they can.
Read it at Townhall
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