--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On almost every issue involving postwar…" description: "\"On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq, [Bush's] assumptions and policies have been wrong. This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/fareed-zakaria-3805_arrogance_on-almost-every-issue-involving-postwar_732226.png" --- # On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq, \[Bush's\]… ![“On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq, [Bush's] assumptions and policies have been wrong. This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence has not only destroyed the hopes for a new Iraq. It has had the much broader effect of turning the United States into an international outlaw.” quote by Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/fareed-zakaria-3805_arrogance_on-almost-every-issue-involving-postwar_732226.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/fareed-zakaria-3805_arrogance_on-almost-every-issue-involving-postwar_732226.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df2/fareed-zakaria-3805_arrogance_on-almost-every-issue-involving-postwar_732226.png) > “On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq, \[Bush's\] assumptions and policies have been wrong. This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence has not only destroyed the hopes for a new Iraq. It has had the much broader effect of turning the United States into an international outlaw.” [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bush’s Iraq policy combined arrogance and incompetence, damaging U.S. credibility and the prospect of a stable Iraq. **In simple terms:** Arrogant, incompetent policies hurt U.S. reputation and Iraq. Key Takeaway Avoid overconfidence and poor judgment. Themes politics foreign policy leadership Mood analytical critical Type opinion political commentary When to use this quote - government decision‑making - international negotiations - military interventions - public opinion Key Concepts imperialism strategic failure Questions to Reflect On - What alternative strategies could have been pursued? - How can leaders prevent hubris in policy? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitics may limit simple blame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrogance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Incompetence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incompetence/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Outlaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlaw/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [What is postwar Iraq going to look like, with the Kurds and the Sunnis and the Shiites? That's a huge question, to my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-schwarzkopf/what-is-postwar-iraq-going-to-look-like-with-the-kurds-and-the-sunnis/) [Norman Schwarzkopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-schwarzkopf/) > [The only one who thinks the world is safer since the occupation of Iraq is Bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segolene-royal/the-only-one-who-thinks-the-world-is-safer-since-the-occupation-of/) [Segolene Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segolene-royal/) > [The difference between the Bush I war against Iraq and the Bush II war against Iraq is that in the first one, we appealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-difference-between-the-bush-i-war-against-iraq-and-the-bush-ii/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [When Americans invade Iraq, Bush says, we will be greeted as liberators by the Iraqi people, proving that taking out Saddam Hussein was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-fineman/when-americans-invade-iraq-bush-says-we-will-be-greeted-as-liberators/) [Howard Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-fineman/) > [Huh , 2 Pac back I'm two glocks strapped rollin down in philly this the new Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/huh-2-pac-back-i-m-two-glocks-strapped-rollin-down-in-philly-this-the/) [Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/) > [Tupac back, rollin down in philly this da new iraq!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/tupac-back-rollin-down-in-philly-this-da-new-iraq/) [Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/) > [The Sunni Arabs began to realize that they had made a huge mistake by not voting in the election of 2005 and by not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/the-sunni-arabs-began-to-realize-that-they-had-made-a-huge-mistake-by/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [Human rights and individual liberties, including religious freedom, will be at the heart of the new Iraq.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalal-talabani/human-rights-and-individual-liberties-including-religious-freedom/) [Jalal Talabani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalal-talabani/) > [I had a hope that the Iraqis would embrace a new government, would establish a new Iraq very quickly, and, but I never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-franks/i-had-a-hope-that-the-iraqis-would-embrace-a-new-government-would/) [Tommy Franks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-franks/) > [Before 2003, none of us knew which part of the country was Sunni and which part was Shi'a. This was something new to Iraq…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanar-mohammed/before-2003-none-of-us-knew-which-part-of-the-country-was-sunni-and/) [Yanar Mohammed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanar-mohammed/) > [Today the most outlaw thing you can possibly do in Nashville, Tennessee, is play country music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-stuart/today-the-most-outlaw-thing-you-can-possibly-do-in-nashville/) [Marty Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-stuart/) > [I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > ['The Outlaw Josey Wales' is one I watched again and again and again in the early days of VHS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/the-outlaw-josey-wales-is-one-i-watched-again-and-again-and-again-in/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [“Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/love-is-the-ultimate-outlaw-it-just-won-t-adhere-to-any-rules-the-2/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) ## More by Fareed Zakaria > [I grew up in Mumbai.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-grew-up-in-mumbai/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [“The political history of the twentieth century is the story of greater and more direct political participation. And success kept expanding democracy's scope. Whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/the-political-history-of-the-twentieth-century-is-the-story-of/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [No successful political transition can take place without leaders and movements that demand and press for freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/no-successful-political-transition-can-take-place-without-leaders-and/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [“For years many in the oil-rich states argued that their enormous wealth would bring modernizations. They pointed to the impressive appetites of Saudis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/for-years-many-in-the-oil-rich-states-argued-that-their-enormous/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [It all looks American because America, the country that invented mass capitalism and consumerism, got there first. the impact of mass capitalism is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/it-all-looks-american-because-america-the-country-that-invented-mass/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [If you listen to the political discourse in America today, you would think that all our problems have been caused by the Mexicans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-you-listen-to-the-political-discourse-in-america-today-you-would/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [Thanks to the Communist Party of China, we now know the path to poverty alleviation is Capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/thanks-to-the-communist-party-of-china-we-now-know-the-path-to/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [I very much want to be in the business of creating content, of doing stories all over the world rather than figuring out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-very-much-want-to-be-in-the-business-of-creating-content-of-doing/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [It's not possible for two countries to be the leading dominant political power at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/it-s-not-possible-for-two-countries-to-be-the-leading-dominant/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [Some have said that the clash between Catholicism and Protestantism illustrates the old maxim that religious freedom is the product of two equally pernicious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/some-have-said-that-the-clash-between-catholicism-and-protestantism/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [I am an American, not by accident of birth but by choice. I voted with my feet and became an American because I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-am-an-american-not-by-accident-of-birth-but-by-choice-i-voted-with/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [“What we need in politics today is not more democracy but less.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/what-we-need-in-politics-today-is-not-more-democracy-but-less/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [We have the leading companies and the leading sectors in the advanced industrial world, we have an incredibly dynamic society, and we have high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/we-have-the-leading-companies-and-the-leading-sectors-in-the-advanced/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [What we see today is an American economy that has boomed because of policies and developments of the 1950s and '60s: the interstate-highway system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/what-we-see-today-is-an-american-economy-that-has-boomed-because-of/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [If a senator calls me up and asks me what should we do in Iraq, I'm happy to talk to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-a-senator-calls-me-up-and-asks-me-what-should-we-do-in-iraq-i-m/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) [Explore all 121 Fareed Zakaria quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) ## More Arrogance quotes > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [wishes for sons by Lucille Clifton i wish them cramps. i wish them a strange town and the last tampon. I wish them no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-clifton/wishes-for-sons-by-lucille-clifton-i-wish-them-cramps-i-wish-them-a/) [Lucille Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-clifton/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [What you see of me on TV and all of that, that is me - that's truly how I feel. I'm just multiplying it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-corbin/what-you-see-of-me-on-tv-and-all-of-that-that-is-me-that-s-truly-how/) [Baron Corbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-corbin/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Never mistake someones quietness for their arrogance as you can surely miss out on an awsome personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-mistake-someones-quietness-for-their-arrogance-as-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [“I was consumed by a selfishness and arrogance that I didn't dare let go of until I found a new persona to hide behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-was-consumed-by-a-selfishness-and-arrogance-that-i-didn-t-dare-let/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [Arrogance is the outgrowth of prosperity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/arrogance-is-the-outgrowth-of-prosperity/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [Timing and arrogance are decisive factors in the successful use of talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-mannes/timing-and-arrogance-are-decisive-factors-in-the-successful-use-of/) [Marya Mannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-mannes/) > [Some say work smarter, not harder, but the wisest are both. Whether you're more of a hard worker or a smart worker, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colby-tatem/some-say-work-smarter-not-harder-but-the-wisest-are-both-whether-you/) [Colby Tatem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colby-tatem/) > [Closed some doors, not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because they no longer lead somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frenz-jeffrey/closed-some-doors-not-because-of-pride-incapacity-or-arrogance-but/) [Frenz Jeffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frenz-jeffrey/) > [My success isn't a result of arrogance - it's a result of belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-mcgregor/my-success-isn-t-a-result-of-arrogance-it-s-a-result-of-belief/) [Conor McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-mcgregor/) > [“...a great man who is vicious will only be a great doer of evil, and a rich man who is not liberal will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cervantes/a-great-man-who-is-vicious-will-only-be-a-great-doer-of-evil-and-a/) Miguel Cervantes > [An increasing number of people are growing uncomfortable with the gulf between the world's rich and the poor. Ostentatiously splashing your money around simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalle-lasn/an-increasing-number-of-people-are-growing-uncomfortable-with-the/) [Kalle Lasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalle-lasn/) [Browse all 1,418 Arrogance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrogance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On almost every issue involving postwar Iraq, [Bush's] assumptions and policies have been wrong. This strange combination of arrogance and incompetence has not only destroyed the hopes for a new Iraq. 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