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Historian Begs to Differ With the Decider

Says Bush keeps misquoting him on post-war Japan

By Jonas Oransky, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 24, 2007 1:53 PM CDT

(Newser) – A historian quoted by President Bush yesterday said his words were misused in a “perverse” attempt to defend the Iraq War, Politico reports. At issue is John Dower's statement in a 1999 book that if naysayers had had their way, the fledgling democracy in Japan after WWII “would have died of ridicule at an early age.” Bush used the comparison to rebuff Iraq critics.

But Dower said the analogy was all wrong, arguing that the occupation of Iraq lacked “preparation, thoughtfulness, understanding”—the tools that enabled the Japanese reconstruction to be successful. He pointed Politico to articles he’d written in recent years using the same historical examples to draw the opposite conclusion—that the White House's expected outcomes in Iraq were much too optimistic.

President Bush waves to a group of spectators as he exits Air Force One, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, at Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo, Jerry Larson) (Associated Press)

Seen on a monitor, President Bush addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Associated Press)

President Bush kisses a supporter after addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Associated Press)

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Historian Begs to Differ With the Decider

Says Bush keeps misquoting him on post-war Japan

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Army Historians Fault Early Afghan War Strategy

Forces were undermanned, and planning was shoddy

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Vet says chess, ping-pong were old grilling tricks

Reviled Japanese Admiral Hoped to Avoid War With US

Isoroku Yamamoto attacked Pearl Harbor after losing that argument

WWII Vets Receive Mystery Cards From China

Befuddled Texas vet gets reporter to snoop online

Skull Discovered in Pearl Harbor

Experts certain it's not Hawaiian, may be Japanese

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Historian Begs to Differ With the Decider

Says Bush keeps misquoting him on post-war Japan

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Japan • World War II • historian • John Dower • Iraq war • George W. Bush

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Army Historians Fault Early Afghan War Strategy

Forces were undermanned, and planning was shoddy

WWII Vets Slam US 'Torture' Techniques

Vet says chess, ping-pong were old grilling tricks

Reviled Japanese Admiral Hoped to Avoid War With US

Isoroku Yamamoto attacked Pearl Harbor after losing that argument

WWII Vets Receive Mystery Cards From China

Befuddled Texas vet gets reporter to snoop online

Skull Discovered in Pearl Harbor

Experts certain it's not Hawaiian, may be Japanese

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?