George Bush is no Harry TrumanGeorge Bush likes being compared to Harry Truman. Both presidents were challenged by history to define a long struggle and America's purpose in pursuing it, and both became awfully unpopular as a result. But here's where history does not repeat itself: Truman successfully institutionalized his grand strategy internationally, while Bush consistently cites America's exceptionalism to justify his own.
Grand strategy involves envisioning a desired future and then aligning all elements of national power toward achieving its emergence. Truman's target was the eventual collapse of the socialist bloc. To achieve that end, America's entire national security establishment was refashioned for the containment strategy.
Read on at KnoxNews.
Read on at Scripps Howard.
Early column sightings:
+ The Mitford Daily News
+ The Press of Atlantic City
Comments (2)
Interesting, the republicans tried repeatedly to impeach Truman. Not to psychoanalyze Bush of course. I doubt he knows this.
Posted by socaldem | February 5, 2007 3:41 AM
Hmmm. That is interesting.
Posted by Tom Barnett | February 6, 2007 12:25 PM