The war on terrorism is critically important, no question about it. It's a matter of life or death for the West. But what the Bush administration is setting in motion breaks the mold in the conduct of international relations as it has been since 1945. This is why we're hearing so many screams of outrage from the Euros and others, and especially those countries which long ago fixed their foreign policy to the UN. The US, under Bush, is saying "We're scrapping the post-1945 system and embarking on a course of enlightened self-interest -- and there's nothing you can do about it." The really interesting thing is how many countries are eager to cast their lot with us. You don't hear much publicity about that, but I can tell you, as a State Department officer, that it's there and it's real.
What's at stake in the 2004 election is nothing less than the future of America's place in the world. The Bush model is off to a smashing start, with two huge successes (Afghanistan and Iraq -- and don't let anyone tell you Iraq is a failure; just how successful it is will only become apparent with time). In my humble opinion, it would be a national tragedy if the Bush model were to be stopped in mid-stream by a Kerry victory this November. Bush needs four more years to cement the new US approach into place -- and the WSJ is telling everyone, in very plain words, why.