What To Do in Iraq?: W's Careless Talk ...

nypost.com ^ | May 4, 2004 | George F. Will

[Destro]

WHAT TO DO IN IRAQ?: W'S CARELESS TALK ...

George F. Will

May 4, 2004 -- OH? Who?

Appearing Friday in the Rose Garden with Canada's prime minister, President Bush was answering a reporter's question about Canada's role in Iraq when suddenly he swerved into this extraneous thought:

"There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern. I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily - are a different color than white can self-govern."

What does such careless talk say about the mind of this administration? Note that the clearly implied antecedent of the pronoun "ours" is "Americans." So the president seemed to be saying that white is, and brown is not, the color of Americans' skin. He doesn't mean that. But that is the sort of swamp one wanders into when trying to deflect doubts about policy by caricaturing and discrediting the doubters.

Scott McClellan, the president's press secretary, later said the president only meant that "there are some in the world that think that some people . . . can't live in freedom." The president meant that "some Middle Eastern countries - that the people in those Middle Eastern countries cannot be free."

Perhaps that, which is problematic enough, is what the president meant. But what he suggested was: Some persons - perhaps many persons; no names being named, the smear remained tantalizingly vague - doubt his nation-building project because they are racists.

That is one way to respond to questions about the wisdom of thinking America can transform the entire Middle East by constructing a liberal democracy in Iraq. But if any Americans want to be governed by politicians who short-circuit complex discussions by recklessly imputing racism to those who differ with them, such Americans do not usually turn to the Republican choice in our two-party system.

This administration cannot be trusted to govern if it cannot be counted on to think and, having thought, to have second thoughts. Thinking is not the reiteration of bromides about how "all people yearn to live in freedom" (McClellan). And about how it is "cultural condescension" to doubt that some cultures have the requisite aptitudes for democracy (Bush). And about how it is a "myth" that "our attachment to freedom is a product of our culture" because "ours are not Western values; they are the universal values of the human spirit." (Tony Blair)

[muawiyah]

Say, isn't George Will one of the guys who thinks the "brown" people cannot ever be self-governing?

[Mike Darancette]

What does such careless talk say about the mind of this administration?

Some people don't believe that Muslims are capable of building and maintaining a stable, peaceful State that honors the rights of all of it's citizens.

I say that after over 1,300 years the jury is still out.

[68skylark]

Apparently so.

[Azzurri]

So the president seemed to be saying that white is, and brown is not, the color of Americans' skin.

It's not enough that we have to battle the left, occasionally a rightie will do their bidding for them.

[MegaSilver]

I say that after over 1,300 years the jury is still out.

I say filibuster's over. And there certainly were not enough "yes" votes to proceed.

[Mark]

Mothers' Day?

[Cicero]

I wish George Will would grow up. Obviously Bush got tired of hearing all the liberal intellectuals assume that Arabs need to be measured by different standards and aren't capable of governing themselves.

Maybe so, but it's hypocritical coming from all those founts of multiculturalism who accuse Republicans of being racists. Probably Bush got angry when a reporter asked him yet another stupid and patronizing question.

[Rokke]

I understand what the President meant. I guess that makes me stupid. If that's true, I'm proud of the company I'm with.

[Capt. Tom]

Some people don't believe that Muslims are capable of building and maintaining a stable, peaceful State that honors the rights of all of it's citizens.

The Muslim God Allah isn't about maintaining peace and respecting the rights of infidels.

Allah's agenda is different. A lot different. Read the Koran. - Tom

[keithtoo]

It actually doesn't end as bad as it starts. It's mostly a knock at the neocons - don't forget, the neocons are essentially social liberals and foreign policy conservatives - think of Bill Krystol.

[Mike Darancette]

Read the Koran. - Tom

Deep down, I know that you are right.

[Belisaurius]

I don't neocons have anything to do with domestic policy. Their mark has been made almost exclusively in foreign policy.

[Unam Sanctam]

Will is nitpicking here. The President's sentiment is certainly a good one. Democracy has spread in the past 60 years to plenty of countries that people have said were not culturally conditioned for it.

[BloodRed]

From what I've seen personally, Pres. Bush does have a bit of a temper when confronted with obviously biased questions and/or opinions. Being a fellow Texan(natively, not transplanted like Pres. Bush, however), I can definetly understand his predisposition to respond relatively harshly to these types of questions.

The implication is rather hypocritical, but at the same time it's the standard rhetoric from the left when they see a chance to generate negative headlines for a political rival.

[billbears]

The very meaning of Islam is the unquestioning submission to Allah and to Islamic law. The Koran is a body of doctrine that Muslims are expected to accept unquestioningly without scrutinizing it for any flaws. Any notion that exists outside of the literal understanding of the Koran is regarded as being associated with sin at best and heresy at worst.

Why Islam Hates Democracy

Of course they can govern themselves. They've done well with their versions of government for thousands of years. Unfortunately they will not do well with our form of government. That is, unless you have a plan to wipe out Islam.

[TheDon]

So the president seemed to be saying that white is, and brown is not, the color of Americans' skin. For someone who makes a living writing, he sure missed the boat on this quote. Perhaps on purpose? The correct way to interpret the president's statement is that there are whites elitists in America who do not think non-whites can govern themselves properly, and shouldn't be held to the same standards. These white elitists fall into this post-racist, actually racist, way of thinking all the time. It is a hold over from the days of the "white man's burden". Need an example of a Muslim nation that is doing well by Western Standards of civilization? Try Turkey.

[Howlin]

Exactly what I thought, but could have never explained it as well as you did.

It's late and I am tired -- George Will needs to STFU.