No blank check for Donald Rumsfeld

Practical Idealism weighs the Rumsfeld matter <!--break--> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="97%"> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>SUBMITTED OP-ED/GUEST COLUMN<br /> </b>May 10, 2004</font></p> </td> <td width="3%" valign="top"> <br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p align="center"><font size="5">No blank check for Donald Rumsfeld</font></p> <p align="center"><b><font size="3">A Practical Idealist makes a contingent call about the fate<br /> of our U.S. Defense Secretary.</font></b></p> <p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>By John Kusumi</b></font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Practical Idealism is not a political party, but rather a political standpoint that arose in Generation X. We are without candidates vying for office or appointments. Rather, we take on the question, &quot;What does government look like on a good day? How would it be managed if people were important?&quot; That last phrase is present, not out of sarcasm or cynicism, but because the Practical Idealist clarion theme, ever since its appearance on bumper stickers in 1984, is that &quot;People Are Important.&quot;</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has a likeability quality to him, a depth of experience, and a certain geekiness that I find endearing. He is known to be smart and detail oriented, with a strength that I have admired in his hawkishness on China. It was others in the administration, not Rumsfeld, who early in this term dashed the hope that hawkishness would prevail in U.S.-China policy.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">I can declare that I value hawks on China, and that there are others in the administration whom I might denounce before Rumsfeld. In fact I did so in my capacity for the China Support Network in August 2003, suggesting a personnel change at the State Department.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Now comes along the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, and observers of the news can note many calls for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld. He has the benefit of the doubt from here as of this writing -- because, I am not yet informed of the full extent of the abuses in Iraq. In Week # 1 of this crisis, I've seen photos of degradation and humiliation and heard stories that amount to torture. On that basis, I am still not calling for Rumsfeld's resignation.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">There are strong reasons that suggest we must finish what we started in Iraq. I believe this war to be unpopular, but necessary. I was supportive in the first place of the mission to remove Saddam Hussein from power -- something that should have been done in &quot;Gulf War I,&quot; a dozen years earlier.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">To change out Rumsfeld could be problematic for the United States, during a complex war operation where his expertise, knowledge, and seasoned eyeballs are hardly dispensable. There are reasons why my early reaction, in week one of this crisis, was that it is a mistake to make this too personal about Rumsfeld, and &quot;we would do just as well to keep him in there.&quot;</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">However, we are cruising into Week # 2 of this crisis, and I suspect that it gets worse. If he reads my writing, Rumsfeld will know that I have a positive opinion of him as an individual. However, my call about Rumsfeld's fate will not be based on anything personal; rather instead, it will be based upon the outcomes of his management. America suffered an enormous setback to its image -- something to shame us within world public opinion for years -- based on what I saw in Week # 1 of this crisis. We did not need that black eye.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">However, the countervailing factors for keeping Rumsfeld were so strong that I did not move with the herd as calls began rising for his scalp. Practical Idealism is not pure idealism -- it has its pragmatic side. However, the red line here is the matter of life and death. That is the outcome by which to judge government management.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">After I finish writing this Op-Ed, then I will lean into examining the case. I do not yet know how far my disappointment will extend. But, my call for the fate of Rumsfeld will be based on this &quot;outcome&quot; factor. I am facing the question, &quot;Did these outcomes cross the line, and extend to the deaths of prisoners in custody due to mistreatment?&quot; I should hope not, meaning that I can be more forgiving of milder abuse, and not call for Rumsfeld's head. But, if outcomes included deaths under management, then I will be among those who will say yes -- this was that bad, and that Donald Rumsfeld should step down.</font></p> <hr /> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><i>John Kusumi is a former candidate for U.S. President (Ind., '84). He has since then founded the China Support Network and his XDC Software firm, and authored a book on political activism and his experiences, available at Kusumi.com.</i></font></p>

<p>Practical Idealism weighs the Rumsfeld matter</p> <!--break--><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="97%"> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>SUBMITTED OP-ED/GUEST COLUMN<br /> </b>May 10, 2004</font></p> </td> <td width="3%" valign="top"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p align="center"><font size="5">No blank check for Donald Rumsfeld</font></p> <p align="center"><b><font size="3">A Practical Idealist makes a contingent call about<br /> the fate<br /> of our U.S. Defense Secretary.</font></b></p> <p><font face="Arial" size="2"><b>By John Kusumi</b></font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Practical Idealism is not a political<br /> party, but rather a political standpoint that arose in Generation X. We are<br /> without candidates vying for office or appointments. Rather, we take on the<br /> question, "What does government look like on a good day? How would it be<br /> managed if people were important?" That last phrase is present, not out of<br /> sarcasm or cynicism, but because the Practical Idealist clarion theme, ever<br /> since its appearance on bumper stickers in 1984, is that "People Are<br /> Important."</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld<br /> has a likeability quality to him, a depth of experience, and a certain geekiness<br /> that I find endearing. He is known to be smart and detail oriented, with a<br /> strength that I have admired in his hawkishness on China. It was others in the<br /> administration, not Rumsfeld, who early in this term dashed the hope that<br /> hawkishness would prevail in U.S.-China policy.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">I can declare that I value hawks on<br /> China, and that there are others in the administration whom I might denounce<br /> before Rumsfeld. In fact I did so in my capacity for the China Support Network<br /> in August 2003, suggesting a personnel change at the State Department.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">Now comes along the Iraqi prisoner abuse<br /> scandal, and observers of the news can note many calls for the resignation of<br /> Donald Rumsfeld. He has the benefit of the doubt from here as of this writing --<br /> because, I am not yet informed of the full extent of the abuses in Iraq. In Week<br /> # 1 of this crisis, I've seen photos of degradation and humiliation and heard<br /> stories that amount to torture. On that basis, I am still not calling for<br /> Rumsfeld's resignation.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">There are strong reasons that suggest we<br /> must finish what we started in Iraq. I believe this war to be unpopular, but<br /> necessary. I was supportive in the first place of the mission to remove Saddam<br /> Hussein from power -- something that should have been done in "Gulf War<br /> I," a dozen years earlier.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">To change out Rumsfeld could be<br /> problematic for the United States, during a complex war operation where his<br /> expertise, knowledge, and seasoned eyeballs are hardly dispensable. There are<br /> reasons why my early reaction, in week one of this crisis, was that it is a<br /> mistake to make this too personal about Rumsfeld, and "we would do just as<br /> well to keep him in there."</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">However, we are cruising into Week # 2 of<br /> this crisis, and I suspect that it gets worse. If he reads my writing, Rumsfeld<br /> will know that I have a positive opinion of him as an individual. However, my<br /> call about Rumsfeld's fate will not be based on anything personal; rather<br /> instead, it will be based upon the outcomes of his management. America suffered<br /> an enormous setback to its image -- something to shame us within world public<br /> opinion for years -- based on what I saw in Week # 1 of this crisis. We did not<br /> need that black eye.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">However, the countervailing factors for<br /> keeping Rumsfeld were so strong that I did not move with the herd as calls began<br /> rising for his scalp. Practical Idealism is not pure idealism -- it has its<br /> pragmatic side. However, the red line here is the matter of life and death. That<br /> is the outcome by which to judge government management.</font></p> <p><font face="MS Sans Serif" size="2">After I finish writing this Op-Ed, then I<br /> will lean into examining the case. I do not yet know how far my disappointment<br /> will extend. But, my call for the fate of Rumsfeld will be based on this<br /> "outcome" factor. I am facing the question, "Did these outcomes<br /> cross the line, and extend to the deaths of prisoners in custody due to<br /> mistreatment?" I should hope not, meaning that I can be more forgiving of<br /> milder abuse, and not call for Rumsfeld's head. But, if outcomes included deaths<br /> under management, then I will be among those who will say yes -- this was that<br /> bad, and that Donald Rumsfeld should step down.</font></p> <hr /> <p><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><i>John Kusumi is a former candidate<br /> for U.S. President (Ind., '84). He has since then founded the China Support<br /> Network and his XDC Software firm, and authored a book on political<br /> activism and his experiences, available at Kusumi.com.</i></font></p>