What an apology from a war supporter should look like

[DeadCanDance]

To commemerate the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War, SLATE has been publishing mea culpas and apologies from prominent former War supporters. Most of these mea culpas are weak, thin gruel. Mostly they are admssions of some errors, but filled with childish whines about "can't we forget the past, forget who is to blame, not worry about who was right and who was wrong, and just move forward?"

Yeah, like the surgeon who totally botches your surgery and disables you for life. Like you ever want to forget what they did, or that their judgement should never be trusted again.

This is what a real apology for the Iraq War looks like, from a former republican and former war cheerleader:

My Iraq War Retrospective

John Cole

I see that Andrew Sullivan was asked to list what he got wrong about Iraq for the five year anniversary of the invasion, and since I was as big a war booster as anyone, I thought I would list what I got wrong:

Everything.

And I don’t say that to provide people with an easy way to beat up on me, but I do sort of have to face facts. I was wrong about everything.

I was wrong about the Doctrine of Pre-emptive warfare.
I was wrong about Iraq possessing WMD.
I was wrong about Scott Ritter and the inspections.
I was wrong about the UN involvement in weapons inspections.
I was wrong about the containment sanctions.
I was wrong about the broader impact of the war on the Middle East.
I was wrong about this making us more safe.
I was wrong about the number of troops needed to stabilize Iraq.
I was wrong when I stated this administration had a clear plan for the aftermath.
I was wrong about securing the ammunition dumps.
I was wrong about the ease of bringing democracy to the Middle East.
I was wrong about dissolving the Iraqi army.
I was wrong about the looting being unimportant.
I was wrong that Bush/Cheney were competent.
I was wrong that we would be greeted as liberators.
I was wrong to make fun of the anti-war protestors.
I was wrong not to trust the dirty smelly hippies.

I mean, I could go down the list and continue on, but you get the point. I was wrong about EVERY. GOD. DAMNED. THING. It is amazing I could tie my shoes in 2001-2004. If you took all the wrongness I generated, put it together and compacted it and processed it, there would be enough concentrated stupid to fuel three hundred years of Weekly Standard journals. I am not sure how I snapped out of it, but I think Abu Ghraib and the negative impact of the insurgency did sober me up a bit.

War should always be an absolute last resort, not just another option. I will never make the same mistakes again.

 

[JimH52]

So....the French were right. Bush tried to push his "get rid of french fries" agenda even to the point of being water cooler topic. Many Americans fell for it.

Now we all know bush cooked the facts and dismissed anyone's opinion who discented.

 

[Annie]

So....the French were right. Bush tried to push his "get rid of french fries" agenda even to the point of being water cooler topic. Many Americans fell for it.

Now we all know bush cooked the facts and dismissed anyone's opinion who discented.

You mean dissented, right?

 

[Merlin]

Bush will eventually be seen as one of the greatest Presidents we have ever had. I do see, (and it makes me sick) is he didn't push for leveling and making glass out of every country over there. Either get out and let them alone, or go all the way. No half ass.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

So....the French were right. Bush tried to push his "get rid of french fries" agenda even to the point of being water cooler topic. Many Americans fell for it.

Now we all know bush cooked the facts and dismissed anyone's opinion who discented.

Bush never even came up with anything to do with freedom fries, some boob in NC near where I live did.

And we ALL are still waiting for that evidence Bush cooked anything.

 

[jreeves]

To commemerate the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War, SLATE has been publishing mea culpas and apologies from prominent former War supporters. Most of these mea culpas are weak, thin gruel. Mostly they are admssions of some errors, but filled with childish whines about "can't we forget the past, forget who is to blame, not worry about who was right and who was wrong, and just move forward?"

Yeah, like the surgeon who totally botches your surgery and disables you for life. Like you ever want to forget what they did, or that their judgement should never be trusted again.

This is what a real apology for the Iraq War looks like, from a former republican and former war cheerleader:

DCD- I stated the war in Iraq cost three trillion dollars when shown CBO accounting of the war in Iraq, I now know I was a dumbass for promoting lies.

 

[DeadCanDance]

DCD- I stated the war in Iraq cost three trillion dollars when shown CBO accounting of the war in Iraq, I now know I was a dumbass for promoting lies.

jreeves: "I've been taking it up the ass from bush and sucking him off so much for the last seven years, that I forgot that CBO chronically underestimates the cost of the war, and the 3 trillion dollar estimate takes into account other incremental costs, that the CBO number doesn't include. I love Bush!"

 

[jreeves]

jreeves: "I've been taking it up the ass from bush and sucking him off so much for the last seven years, that I forgot that CBO chronically underestimates the cost of the war, and the 3 trillion dollar estimate takes into account other incremental costs, that the CBO number doesn't include. I love Bush!"

Show me then how exactly they underestimated the war?

 

[DeadCanDance]

Show me then how exactly they underestimated the war?

You obviously didn't even bother reading the article dumbass. You were too busy sucking bush off. If you want to call me a liar, then at least read the fucking article, instead of daydreaming about taking it up the ass from your hero, Bush. The authors documented the incremental costs of your war, that the government doesn't account for.

You still think your war was a great idea, and you obviously are in love with George Bush. Your opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush lover.

 

[JimH52]

You obviously didn't even bother reading the article dumbass. You were too busy sucking bush off. If you want to call me a liar, then at least read the fucking article, instead of daydreaming about taking it up the ass from your hero, Bush. The authors documented the incremental costs of your war, that the government doesn't account for.

You still think your war was a great idea, and you obviously are in love with George Bush. Your opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush lover.

We will be paying for bush's folly for years to come.

 

[trobinett]

You obviously didn't even bother reading the article dumbass. You were too busy sucking bush off. If you want to call me a liar, then at least read the fucking article, instead of daydreaming about taking it up the ass from your hero, Bush. The authors documented the incremental costs of your war, that the government doesn't account for.

And, we should believe this why? Because YOU found some OTHER dumb ass article? You sir, are fucking lame.

You still think your war was a great idea, and you obviously are in love with George Bush. Your opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush lover.

You NOW think the war is a bad idea. and are obviously on the "hate train" against George Bush. YOUR opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush hater.

You ass holes are too easy, just like the liberals you soooo admire.

 

[rayboyusmc]

Bush will eventually be seen as one of the greatest Presidents we have ever had. I do see, (and it makes me sick) is he didn't push for leveling and making glass out of every country over there.

You my friend are pissing into the wind. He is and will have the legacy of being so far over his level of incompetence, that he will share only a small part in the history of the great country.

Right, let's just start a nuclear war and turn the desert to sand. What tee shirt did you get that off? After all, didn't all those Iraqis want US to invade and then fuck it up.

The shitty part is they will retire with all their profits from this war and some doofuses who will then be paying for this, will still think his shit doesn't stink.

PS. Do you think he will ever find that 9 fucking billion dollars in cash that Bremer lost?

 

[trobinett]

You my friend are pissing into the wind. He is and will have the legacy of being so far over his level of incompetence, that he will share only a small part in the history of the great country.

Right, let's just start a nuclear war and turn the desert to sand. What tee shirt did you get that off? After all, didn't all those Iraqis want US to invade and then fuck it up.

The shitty part is they will retire with all their profits from this war and some doofuses who will then be paying for this, will still think his shit doesn't stink.

PS. Do you think he will ever find that 9 fucking billion dollars in cash that Bremer lost?

Shouldn't your posts be kept in the conspiracy dungeon?

 

[JimH52]

Bush will eventually be seen as one of the greatest Presidents we have ever had. I do see, (and it makes me sick) is he didn't push for leveling and making glass out of every country over there. Either get out and let them alone, or go all the way. No half ass.

Tell us you are kidding...

 

[jreeves]

You obviously didn't even bother reading the article dumbass. You were too busy sucking bush off. If you want to call me a liar, then at least read the fucking article, instead of daydreaming about taking it up the ass from your hero, Bush. The authors documented the incremental costs of your war, that the government doesn't account for.

You still think your war was a great idea, and you obviously are in love with George Bush. Your opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush lover.

And if you read the CBO accounting you would have realized they refuted each thing your left wing loonies said they were wrong on with facts. Your left wing loonies tried to say the majority of head injuries were serious and required tons of money which the CBO says simply isn't factually true.....
So unless you can refute what they detailed in the CBO report your delusional BS is just that BS

 

[Taomon]

You mean dissented, right?

Maybe he meant descended...as into Hell.

 

[Taomon]

Bush will eventually be seen as one of the greatest Presidents we have ever had.

Umm, yeah right. And Pinocchio is a real little boy.

 

[Taomon]

Bush never even came up with anything to do with freedom fries, some boob in NC near where I live did.

And we ALL are still waiting for that evidence Bush cooked anything.

Three words: Downing Street Memo.
Here is another: Did we ever find WMD?

 

[Taomon]

And, we should believe this why? Because YOU found some OTHER dumb ass article? You sir, are fucking lame.



You NOW think the war is a bad idea. and are obviously on the "hate train" against George Bush. YOUR opinions are meaningless. Piss off bush hater.

You ass holes are too easy, just like the liberals you soooo admire.

Tell me what is good about our Invasion and Occupation of Iraq? Why did we invade Iraq and not Sudan where a real genocide has been going on for years? Because Sudan doesn't have any resources that we want to exploit and Iraq does.

You neo-con fascists make it too easy on us.

 

[DeadCanDance]

Well, obviously there are no NeoCon, bush loving message board posters, who are willing to follow the mature and adult lead of these former pro-war pundits, and apologize for their misguided support of a war, and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people: american, iraqi, and coalition countries.