IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 9/11 COMMISSION HEARINGS, this alternative history by Gregg Easterbrook is interesting. What if Bush had taken decisive action against Osama and the Taliban before 9/11? Easterbrook has him being impeached for warmongering.

Kathleen Parker made a similar point on homeland security — with Bush facing impeachment and being called “racist” for trying to round up a bunch of Muslims in August of 2001 — a couple of years ago, but it very much bears repeating.

UPDATE: Another alternative history here.

And go read this post by Megan McArdle on the 9/11 Commission and intelligence:

Clinton didn’t know. Bush didn’t know. We didn’t know. And the uncomfortable possibility remains that there are more events that we not only don’t know about–but can’t know about. Deluding ourselves otherwise isn’t helping. And if it causes us to take costly, fruitless measures to reassure ourselves, it could actively hurt us.

Indeed.