A central measurement of a democratic regime can be gauged by questions its leaders share with the public, how important decisions are explained and defined for the country at large. The business of war entails the severest sacrifices that can fall on ordinary men and women. In war, more than at any other time, the people must be sufficiently informed to understand the choices that are being made. In the end, no statesman can successfully pursue a war policy unless he has instilled a sense of shared direction and purpose, unless people know what to expect and what is expected of them. By all these standards of candor and collaboration between a leader and the people in the critical time of war, Lyndon Johnson had failed.Page 342 in Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Today is Sunday, January 5, 2020. Three days ago, on Thursday, January 2, 2020, President Donald Trump moved the United States one step closer to another war in the Middle East. NPR has a nice timeline available in Timeline: How The U.S. Came To Strike And Kill A Top Iranian General. The quote regarding Lyndon Johnson, which I read just last night, seems timely.
Doris Kearns Goodwin worked for Lyndon Johnson, standing before him in the Oval Office of the White House. She went on to teach at Harvard. She worked with Lyndon Johnson on his memoirs, wrote one book about him, wrote the previously mentioned book which featured him, and is coming out with another book about his domestic affairs. She likes the guy's work. She admires him. But she minces no words when she says that he failed as a war time president and she is quite clear in her reasoning.
This quote is timely because I don't know if I've heard a good explanation for the killing of the Iranian general Suleimani. Although I am not a fan of President Trump, in this moment I'm awaiting to be convinced of the necessity of this act. I have not come to judgment yet. I've read some about it (example: Pompeo scrambles to defend Trump claim killing Suleimani will save US lives), and I'm still unconvinced. I acknowledge that there's a lot that I may not need to know, as I'm further than far from a need to know basis. But I'm pretty sure that details regarding why Suleimani might have been a bad guy and actively been against the US and its citizens could easily have been disclosed to paint a sufficient picture. Current details are insufficient. News that President Trump was golfing on Sunday while his Secretary of State was standing (and sitting on talk shows) to defend the actions does not give me great confidence. President Trump may have taken to Twitter to make his case, but I'm not going there. I probably should, to be more informed, but dear God, he's the president. Stand at a podium and tell us what is up.
In Leadership in Turbulent Times, Doris Kearns Goodwin shares how four presidents moved from ambition, through adversity, and into leadership as the President of the United States. Her depiction of Lyndon Johnson was nuanced. His ambition seemed selfish and self-righteous. He might have done good for others, but he seemed to only find worth in himself when he was in charge, hard-charging. His adversity appeared to be a mixture of nature--heart disease in his family--and the negative aspects of his ambition catching up with him. And then when he found himself in office as president, he did so much good, making so much progress domestically. I went from despising him to admiring him and thinking that I needed to read more about him. But Goodwin couldn't leave it there, because she knew how her description of Johnson would need to include reference to the Vietnam War. That is where the above paragraph was shared.
I've judged President Trump in lots of situations, but I'm forming my opinion on this issue. My mind is mostly made, but Doris Kearn Goodwin's writing has pushed me to welcome a message from our standing president after taking decisive war action. So I'm stepping back. I'm listening. I want the decision to be explained. I want to understand the choice. I want to know what to expect and what is expected of me. Given that information, I can support a cause and rally, but without it I can't.
I'm waiting.
