Nelson Hay's Blog: August 2006

About Me

MBA, HARVARD UNIVERSITY. BS-CHEMISTRY, CASE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. Thirty years of management of non-profit and for-profit organizations, public policy analysis, speaking and Washington representation. Authored/edited hundreds of publications and six books. Served on dozens of boards and steering committees for non-profit and government environmental and energy organizations. Extensive experience working with national and multilateral institutions worldwide. A founding Advisor of the Climate Institute. Please see list of selected publications, bio and resume further down the blog. Past Chair of the Board of Deacons and past Co-Chair of the Board of Missions of the Venice (Florida) United Church of Christ. A past Director of the Venice Area Democratic Club, and a past Democratic Committeeman. Volunteers with the American Red Cross, Laurel Civic Association and Senior Friendship Centers.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

LIEBERMAN DEFEAT

I don't know why our political establishment can't get it. What the people want, first, is political leaders who will stand up and admit that the Iraq War was probably the worst strategic/military/foreign policy blunder in U.S. history. It is hard to imagine anything positive that will ever come of it. More likely it has tipped the balance in favor of more radical and anti-U.S. elements in the region. It is getting worse. We have to stop the damage.

That should be the starting point for future policy in the region. The second step is for those leaders to give us confidence that they have a clear plan for exiting as quickly as possible consistent with trying to minimize the fallout. Similar--need I say it?--to what we did in Vietnam. Not on an announced timetable, but steady and inevitable. It worked out pretty well in Vietnam.