An element of truth can make any argument plausible

The Vietnam analogies for Iraq are just coming out of the woodwork since the President’s speech to the VFW last week. Most just cherry pick history to make a point, but many also are educated fools it seems. And for lack of knowing what to say, many just say what they know. The old story about asking three PhD’s the same question and always getting at least four answers comes to mind. So does the story about the blind wise men describing an elephant to a village of all blind people where each blind wise man is correct in what he says, but misses the point of the entire elephant.

The other trend is the emphasis on looking back, vice forward. The expression that those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it comes to mind. But so does the expression about the military always preparing to fight the last war. Except in today’s case, the military analogy also applies to politicians and their hired advisors, and the media and its pundits. After all, having a job in the news or political business does not confer any extra experience or common sense.

Looking forward means leadership and business experience. (In the old days it was called the school of hard knocks.) Looking forward means mission statements, and accountability for results, be it local, state, or national. Leaders have tools such as yesterday’s six sigma by Motorola, or TQM by many, but these are tools only. Looking forward means taking the initiative and learning from mistakes, if the Board or voters will be so tolerant. America has become too committee and CYA and process oriented, as if doing the process or having good intentions is what counts, rather than accomplishing the mission. The recent shutdown of the King/Drew hospital in Los Angeles can be seen as place which looked back while today’s people died as a result. This is the place where the lady died on the floor in the emergency area after having been ignored for hours. The CIA’s IG critiques of process over results provides another example. The point is that the ideas of good intentions and process are still alive and well in American government.

Of course leaders come from us, we Americans. Why any citizen politician leader and his or her family would come to the caustic environment of Washington, D.C. is a good question. Many think the politics of personal destruction and criminalizing politics as political tools have in fact run off many of the leaders we need today at the federal level, be it executive, congress, or judiciary. They don’t even bother to apply these days, or run for office.

America needs leaders, not historians and other such ilk. Leaders are in short supply in D.C., while paid critics are over supplied.