The New York Times’ David Brooks takes a shot at war critics today, saying, “[T]he liberal wing of the Democratic Party believes that the world … owes it an apology.” Brooks apparently believes there’s some bitterness about the fact that war critics have been on the right side of the war debate, while war supporters (such as Brooks) have backed a disaster.
But does the left really expect an apology from “the world”? I think war opponents expect a resolution of the crisis from Washington, but “the world” hasn’t been particularly supportive of the war from the beginning. As Greg Sargent noted, getting some kind of acknowledgement from Brooks, however, might make some people feel a little better.
Actually, they want people like Brooks himself to own up in a serious way to getting it wrong.
It’s also instructive to take note of the way Brooks essentially mischaracterizes what war opponents now want. I’d say they don’t want an “apology” so much as they want war supporters to acknowledge their mistake, partly so that, you know, this sort of thing doesn’t happen again. Is that so tough to grasp?
Maybe so. Brooks has consistently shown a certain disdain for those who approached this war from a different perspective (you know, the one that turned out to be right), and he now seems to wish, in a Goldberg-like fashion, that they’d just go away. He shouldn’t be bothered with accountability; his mistaken predictions are just columns under the bridge.
Of course, it will probably make Brooks even more frustrated to point out a certain 2003 column about people owning up to the war-related mistakes.
Greg reminds us of this gem, written by Brooks after the Saddam statue fell, about “admitting errors.” (emphasis added throughout)
I’m curious about how all the war opponents are going to react if things continue to go well. Sure, they opposed Saddam, they will say. They just didn’t want to do anything about him. They had no practical suggestion for how to end his murderous reign and spread freedom. They were tolerant. Tolerant of tyranny. They doubted, and continue to doubt America’s willingness and ability to serve as a force for good in the world. That was their crucial mistake.
I suspect they will not even now admit their errors. I doubt the people of Europe will say: We were wrong. You really are the liberators of the Iraqi people. I doubt the Arab propagandists will say: We will never spread such distortions again. We will never again be so driven by resentment and dishonesty.
Sad to say, human nature doesn’t work that way. The rump 15 percent of Americans who still oppose this war may perhaps grow more bitter, lost in the cul-de-sac of their own alienation.
No, I suppose human nature really doesn’t work this way….