Posted on 01/30/2004 7:14:33 AM PST by Tolik
Yes, this is true, but
it's much more interesting
-- to me -- to wonder
about this wider
issue of "democracy"
where the citizens
just believe odd things ...
I mean, we saw it right here
in the Civil War.
Southerners acted
"democratically" to leave
the United States.
But the North used force --
abandoned democracy --
to lock in the South...
I think we see this
with the PLO. If we
get them their own state,
and their leaders act
"democratically" -- they do
their citizens' will --
we will make a state
dedicated to crushing
Israel. I think
we should stop saying
this or that political
system is our foe,
and just bluntly say
people -- individuals
who believe weird things --
are our enemies.
I think that makes our "problems"
easier to see.
Things in the Middle East are hard precisely because the stakes there are gargantuan. But so are the rewards: The sanctuaries and patrons of murderers, suicide bombers, and terrorists are shrinking with the destruction of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein.
Meanwhile millions from Libya and Pakistan to North Korea and Iran watch intently. They wonder whether this new United States is about to run out of gas and return to the old appeasement of the last twenty years, when crafting nukes on the sly, blowing up Americans, and terrorizing innocents earned (at the worst) a televised remonstration expressing "concern" and "disappointment." On the other hand, wonder the world's opportunists, is this new and often unpredictable United States going to completely change the rules of engagement, to prevent the conditions that would lead to another September 11?
From our end, if we examine the situation in Iraq rationally, we can see that much is going well for us, and we have a variety of cards yet to play. The enemy die-hards count on killing enough Americans and causing enough disruptions that everyday Iraqis will rejoice upon seeing at least some Arabs defeat the new Crusaders. What they don't count on is that once the Americans have left, everyday Iraqis don't want them the terrorists to take over and recreate the Bekka Valley.
....Our efforts in Iraq to remove a genocidal murderer and inaugurate democracy are not a "quagmire," but one of the brightest moments in recent American history and we need not be ashamed to say that, again and again and again.
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Victor Davis Hansen, perspective, ping!
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This little essay also convicts our enemies:
If you want on or off the Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me, Calpernia or xzins. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).
Yes, yes, yes!!
I'm displaying my flag at home today because of this sentance.
Needed repeating....
redrock
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