I'm not saying we needed to rush into a war. We just weren't savvy.
Just an example. Take Chirac - he was NO visionary, and no French person thinks he's a hero for taking the one stand of his entire career as president (I think he went after the big hypermarchés at some point ages ago). Anyway he could have been finessed. He LOVED us - he was the first head of state over here after the towers fell. He was a frigging soda jerk in the US at one point. He and Clinton were thick as thieves.
We could have USED him, not forced him to take a stand against us by bullying him and our other allies. It's sad really. Just one example of a prime relationship we stepped over because we had no patience for diplomacy. It's like we were playing chess to lose or something.