Posted on 11/08/2004 12:34:04 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
''How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB?" screamed the front-page headline of Britain's No. 2-selling newspaper, the Daily Mirror, on Nov. 4. It further promised inside: "U.S. Election Disaster: Pages 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 11." The more cerebral Guardian, which had encouraged readers to write to voters in Clark County, Ohio, in support of John Kerry, was much more sober than the Mirror in its reaction. The No. 1-selling Sun, however, took a different view. Its column called The Sun Says began: "The world is a safer place today with George W. Bush back in the OvalOffice."
So, just as not everyone in Britain reads the Mirror or Guardian, not everyone supported John Kerry. I know I do not speak for a majority in Britain — let alone continental Europe —
but there are many of us in Britain, and some even in France, who are extremely relieved at the choice Americans have made.
Europeans, like Americans, are safer because President George W. Bush has actively and systematically pursued terrorists, and not just lashed out randomly the way the Clinton administration did.
The Bush policy in Afghanistan and Iraq has been far from risk-free. There is no doubt that it has sucked terrorists into these countries, as continuing attacks on coalition forces demonstrate. But our enemies in Iraq are not new enemies. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been a practising terrorism for years. I am glad he is practising his dark arts against well-armed professional soldiers in Iraq and not against civilians in London or Houston.
The elections in Afghanistan ran remarkably smoothly. Next January's elections in Iraq will be partially disrupted, but will be freer and fairer than the unanimous votes for Saddam Hussein or than anything previously seen in any Arab state.
By the time Iraq and Afghanistan face their second free elections, in four or five years' time, there will be stronger and better trained national armies to keep both countries safe. The progress toward anything resembling America's constitutional republic will be slow, but the lives of ordinary citizens in both Afghanistan and Iraq will be freer from government intimidation. They will be more secure from terrorist attack and far more prosperous than was conceivable under the decaying and discredited containment policy of the Clinton administration and the United Nations.
None of this would have happened if John Kerry had made U.S. action subject to some undefined global test.
And the change we are witnessing in the Middle East is the change that will ultimately make the whole world safer. Confronting terrorism is directly comparable to the end of the Cold War. It is not necessary to believe that Russia is a model of constitutional government and human rights, which it certainly is not, to see that it no longer poses the threat to world peace that it did when the Soviet Union and its satellites dominated two-thirds of Europe. Some parts of the former Soviet Empire are in chaos. Some, like Russia, are almost as badly run as under communism. But others, like Poland, the Baltic States, Hungary, East Germany and the former Czechoslovakia are successful free democracies. The threat of nuclear war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact is over.
In 10 years' time, half of the Arab world will still be in the grip of dictatorship. But half of it will have transformed utterly. Like the transformations we have seen in Latin America and Eastern Europe, this revolution in the Arab world will make the world safer and more prosperous.
But all of this will happen only if America — Ronald Reagan's shining city on the hill — is prepared to lead and keep up the pressure for transformation.
Just as when Reagan was president, faint hearts at home and abroad will tell you this is too dangerous, but will look back a decade later and claim to have supported you all along.
Langley is a lecturer in International Public Relations at the University of Cardiff, Wales, and is married to an American.
Great post!
quid, here's one up to your usual high standards.
Truer words were never spoken!
I think George W. Bush and his supporters have started something - not giving in to or rolling over for the msm.
Oh, it just makes them so mad.
More and more people need to follow our example and stand for what's right.
After the election, as I was reading the various U.K. papers, and listening to their news "presenters," I finally had had enough and just started ranting at anyone or anything British. He finally put his hand up, and said..."Hey! I happen to LIKE your President Bush, and I liked Reagan!!"
He also thought that Maggie Thatcher was the best...so there are some Brits that are on our side. Think he's glad he is on my side too. Makes life a lot nicer around the house. Ha!
Bump!
Monthly irculation figures for the 4 UK newspapers most often mentioned in FR:
TABLOIDS
The Sun (Pro-Bush) 3,524,000
The Mirror (Anti-Bush) 1,740,000
BROADHSEETS
1 Daily Telegraph (Pro-Bush) 909,000
2 The Guardian (Anti-Bush) 378,000
The 2 pro-Bush newspapers are the biggest-circulation tabloid and broadsheet in the UK. There's hope for Britain yet!
Great statistics!
60 million in UK?
They don't read much, I guess.
Good stats,though.
"They don't read much, I guess."
There are a lot more than four papers in the UK.
>>"They don't read much, I guess."
>>There are a lot more than four papers in the UK.
That's true, of course. But I just wanted to compare the figures for the specific ones that come up regularly here, especially The Mirror, which gets half of the audience of it rival pro-Bush tabloid.
Thought you might like to see this. :)
The writer is correct (obviously) on many points but the one I noted particularly is that time will show W's widom. I hope to be able to read the British press in ten years when the world is demonstrably safer and more free. I'm sure all of the howling critics will gladly own up to their errors. I'm sure. Really!
I already have.
But thanks for the ping anyway.
I think something else that should be remembered is that the left, (and it's media) tends to be much more vocal in it's protests and comment. British conservatives, on the whole, are much quieter and more restrained. Thus the British left wing press will scream to the heavens about the Bush victory while the conservative press are more likely to simply offer a pleased congratulations and then move on to the cricket scores ;o).
Another thing to note about us Brits is that the Conservative Party has more paid up members than both left wing parties (Labour & The Liberal Democrats) put together.
Yes,the left,(and it's media)makes a lot of noise.....just like over here. :)
None of this would have happened if John Kerry had made U.S. action subject to some undefined global test.
Mr. Langley has this exactly right: none of this would be possible if we had been so benighted as to elect Senator Kerry.
Bump!
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