"Some conservatives shared that view at the time and even more do now, most prominently William F. Buckley and George Will. If you are vocal, or literary, on behalf of this sensibility, you are eligible to receive disagreement but not disrespect."

"The same holds true if you maintain the war was a great idea at the time, the best available choice in the circumstances, but the resultant bog offers no benefit for our lingering. Here again you can make a case that proceeds from the premise that people of good will proceeded with good intentions to undertake an effort in good faith but deduces that fate did not produce a good result. Nothing undermining about saying we made a good investment but the company flopped and it is time to cut our losses. This is the language good people use when they participate in constructive debate."