Joe Klein the wanker

Joe Klein, the "liberal" Time Magazine columnist and author of Primary Colors (He wrote it under the pseudonym "Anonymous.") tries his hand at blogging. Yeesh1 What an embarassment! Apparently, war advocates who recommend counterinsurgency doctrines in Iraq are not delusional. Never mind the fact that the doctrine calls for several hundred thousand troops. Troops that do not appear to be available. I mean, Joe's right. There are several strategies that would be effective, if y'know, conditions were different, like y'know if the US had any real allies besides Britain, which could happen if, y'know the Bush Administration had any clue about diplomacy and such.

And my response upon seeing the latest from Joe Klein [Emits a low groan, slapping hand to forehead] "Oh, good grief! *Sigh!* Whatta we gonna do wit' dis guy?!?!"

"I've been opposed to the Iraq war ever since...2002..."

Really? I've never heard of Klein putting up any opposition. Ah, now I see, Atrios quotes a Klein column from 2003:

"This is a really tough decision. War may well be the right decision at this point. In fact, I think it--it's--it--it probably is."

Ahh! There's the kind of deep, serious, full-throated opposition that's going to make the warmongers sit up and take notice [/snark]! Yeesh! THAT's the "liberal" columnist from Time Magazine?!?! But this is an interesting statement:

"But it's possible to have been against the war and to hope for the best in Iraq. I'd bet that the overwhelming majority of Americans who now oppose the war are praying for a turn for the better in Iraq. Listening to the leftists, though, it's easy to assume that they are rooting for an American failure."

The "best" huh? According to Editor & Publisher:

"Past surveys have hinted at this result, but a new poll in Iraq makes it more stark than ever: the Iraqi people want the U.S. to exit their country. And most Iraqis now approve of attacks on U.S. forces, even though 94% express disapproval of al-Qaeda."

So what exactly constitutes "the best" for Iraqis? Do Iraqis want an American "success"? Wouldn't an American "failure" be more agreeable to them? Obviously, Klein and the Iraqis do not agree on what constitutes either success or failure. To say that "Americans" as opposed to "leftist," are "praying for a turn for the better" raises the very serious question of just what is "better"? I'd like to see less killing and destruction, but my solution would be for the Iraqis to get their country back and if they then want to establish a theocracy under Moqtada al-Sadr, hey well, have at it! That solution certainly fits within Klein's vague formulation of "the best," but I don't think that's what Klein means.

Update: Shorter Atrios - Joe Klein had the opportnity to be a mensch, to be prescient, to win the admiration of the left, but he blew it by being way, way too cautious.