The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence

Juvenal Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 08:49:03 AM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

The resignation of Donald Rumsfeld is something that will affect many of you.  Don't suffer in silence.



World peace and security will never be the same again.  Please feel free to add your messages of condolence to the American (and Iraqi) people here.

tags: (all tags)

Display: Sort:
The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence | 19 comments (19 topical)

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#1)

by Glass House on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 10:18:42 AM GMT

We should all try to learn something from Rumsfeld - specifically that adherence to dogma is not a good thing. The left is often just as guilty of that as anyone else.


Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#2)

by pauldburgin on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 10:47:07 AM GMT

Agreed, but to use religious metaphor, it's when one relies too much on being prophetic and not enough on being pastoral!


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#3)

by swatantra on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 11:12:32 AM GMT

'RIP Donald. I only hope the 100 000 Iraquis that lost their lies can forgive you.'


Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#4)

by swatantra on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 12:37:30 PM GMT

RIP Donald. I only hope that the 100 000 Iraquis that lost their lives can forgive you.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#5)

by Loz on Thu Nov 09, 2006 at 09:57:53 PM GMT

Or forgive the people that actually killed them...the terrorists.

And I would say I hope that the 2 million killed under saddams brutal dictatorship will forgive him, but then, that a stupid thing to say, why should they?


[ Parent ]

The Unknown (#6)

by Mark Wadsworth on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 10:59:46 AM GMT

As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.


Re: The Unknown (#7)

by swatantra on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:34:33 AM GMT

Simple, isn't it. Can't top that.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Unknown (#8)

by Juvenal on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 01:26:00 PM GMT

Pure, unadulterated NeoCon poetry.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Unknown (#9)

by Glass House on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 03:37:39 PM GMT

What on earth are you talking about?

Do you really not understand what he's saying?


[ Parent ]

Re: The Unknown (#10)

by Juvenal on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 04:34:30 PM GMT

Some things we really understand.  Some things we cannot understand.  Some things we choose not to understand.  And then there are the things that we do understand, but that we pretend not to understand .


[ Parent ]

A Confession (#11)

by Mark Wadsworth on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:17:40 PM GMT

Once in a while,
I'm standing here, doing something.
And I think,
"What in the world am I doing here?"
It's a big surprise.


Re: A Confession (#15)

by swatantra on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 01:37:30 PM GMT

Beautiful; be honest haven't we all felt like that sometime or other?


[ Parent ]

Why Bush took so long to sack Rummy ... (#12)

by Mark Wadsworth on Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 11:19:47 PM GMT

"Rumsfeld Only One Who Can Change Toner In White House Printer"

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/32721


Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#13)

by Juvenal on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 10:47:04 AM GMT

"It is unknowable how long that conflict will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months." Feb 2003


Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#14)

by Loz on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 12:47:40 PM GMT

Yes refering to the initial 'conflict' which lasted even less.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#16)

by Juvenal on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 01:39:30 PM GMT

Err...given he made the comment before the invasion of Iraq had even begun, how do you know he was only referring to the initial conflict?  I'm sure that the US troops he was addressing that day took this to mean the end of fighting.  If so, he was out by about three years (and counting).


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#17)

by Loz on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 01:50:44 PM GMT

Given that it wasn't anticipated at the pentagon that we would encounter such a level of violence, I would tend to assume he was talking about the initial conflict.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#18)

by swatantra on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 03:40:02 PM GMT

The Pentagon should have known better and forseen the level of resistance. They had two options, either flood Iraq with troops and counter the least sign of resistance brutally, or leave Iraq after one month of toppling Saddam.
Their experiences in Afghanistan, and the Israeli experience, in Palestine should have taught them you can't eliminate the terrorists; you just have to learn to live with them.


[ Parent ]

Re: The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence (#19)

by Loz on Sat Nov 11, 2006 at 04:25:44 PM GMT

Well yes, you make a fair point. I don't think anyone would deny things at the planning stage were massively mishandled. I just don't subscribe to the whole 'blame rumsfeld' mantra. Yes, he was at the top of the pile, but the actual military planners who gave the advice in the first place appear to have massively underestimated the terrorists abilit and orgnisation.

I honeslty can't think of a scenario that would have enabled them get in and out without problem. More troops may have had the opposite outcome, in that it would incite more violence.


[ Parent ]

The Rumsfeld Book of Condolence | 19 comments (19 topical)