The Foreign Service Journal, February 2007

hubris that portrays anything that happens in the world as being a direct result of American action is the main argument for his hav- ing all that much to do with it at all. Those trying to construct Bush’s list of accomplishments will have to deal with a different set of facts and events. Bush can accept reality, but only occasion- ally, and always grudgingly. Still, firing John Bolton and Donald Rumsfeld demonstrates he can recognize failure and at least blame his aides for it. But his insistence that “victory” in Iraq is attainable shows he is still willing to sacrifice others, rather than admit that he is at fault. Our men and women in uni- form were the cannon fodder of the re-election cam- paign during the first term. Their sacrifice will be the foundation for the futile attempt to build Bush’s historical record in the remainder of his second. The number of troops may be “surged” to try and calm things enough to declare success. But this will only postpone the failure and mean even more American lives lost. Invading Iraq was justified as making us safer. It didn’t; but even if it had in the short run, dramatic actions always come with unintended consequences. Ronald Reagan’s support for the mujahedeen got the Soviets out of Afghanistan, but it also provided on-the-job training for the people who went on to become the Taliban and al- Qaida. Iraq is creating a new generation of terrorists that will threaten us for decades to come. That is des- tined to go down in history as Bush’s most enduring legacy. F O C U S F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 35 Even in the unlikely event that the Democrats are less partisan than the Republicans were, a few trade agreements won’t allow Bush to claim real accomplishments.