President Bush leaves office in late January, 2009.
3 years more of the adults being in charge.
Posted on 01/31/2006 10:47:17 PM PST by TomAdkinsCC
The Greatest Challenge In History- Free The world.
Tom Adkins
The sniping has started. The bickering has begun. And over the coming months, we will debate the agenda of President George W. Bush’s last two years, laid out in the State of the Union address last night.
For the most part, the speech was rather pedestrian. He suggested America stay economically engaged, opening up free markets across the world. Good. He told us we were addicted to oil, and we should find alternative sources of energy. Easy one. He offered general platitudes about health care. Softball. He asked to make tax cuts permanent. Classic. And he insisted we re-up the patriot act. No brainer, except to the brainless. And of course, he asked America to help the world fight disease, encourage economic progress, and “spread hope in hopeless lands.” Textbook. It was the speech of a man who knows his presidency is almost over, and has a few precious years to accomplish a few things.
With one notable exception.
To those who paid attention, Bush offered something startling. Bold. New. And unabashedly different than from anything in American history. George Bush demanded the United States of America and all free nations take on the world’s dictators and turn them into democracies. Actively. As in, “Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal - we seek the end of tyranny in our world.”
Hmmm.
Read between the lines in the rest of the speech, and the direction is clear. He slyly reminded us of World War Two. That we are offensively taking on terrorists right now. And the future? “…Liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East…”
At a time when freed allies have become forgetfully spoiled and coddled by American sacrifice, protection and good graces, George Bush is insisting that it is our duty and responsibility to spread democracy. President Bush wants to take out the bad guys and free the oppressed people. With whatever it takes. Shades of gunboat diplomacy.
While Americans have historically and repeatedly assisted allies at risk or under attack, we have been generally reluctant to conduct expeditions and crusades. No longer. For the first time, in Iraq, an American President took pre-emptive action against an enemy. Now, in this State Of The Union speech, George Bush is flexing up for the other troublemakers. And he’s demanding those lazy nations waddling in their smug cocoons (usually provided by America blood, guts and money) to saddle up. Why? First, because it is our duty. Second, because Bush has made an inarguable strategic observation: it’s smarter to kill an enemy today, on his turf, than to perpetually be in defense against the enemy on your turf. Whether it’s politics, war or football, if you refuse to play offense, the other guy eventually scores.
Of course, there are many predictable reactions. The New York Times will offer their baying hounds, crying that we have no business interfering into any other nation’s business. (Unless a Democrat President wants to conduct war in, say Kosovo, or perhaps the Tonkin Gulf) Then again, many old-school conservatives and some libertarians are inherently anti-meddling. We will certainly hear from the dictators themselves, of course, ranging from the silly insults from North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il to the apocalyptic rantings of Iran’s Mahmud Ahmadi-nejad. American Democrats, devoid of any notable leadership, will continue to loudly undermine this war, pandering to shake dollars from their deluded donors. And those haughty Europeans will harrumph in that patented cynical smirk.
Funny…they all had the same reaction when President Ronald Reagan demanded “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!!!”
But George W. Bush, the clumsy speaker, the stumbling, bumbling politician, didn’t settle for tearing down a wall, going to the moon or feeling our pain. Instead, he is asking for the boldest challenge in global history: demanding every free nation join to eliminate the oppressive governments across the globe and spread freedom everywhere.
Now that is big.
And he’s offered the classic Teddy Roosevelt strategy: speak softly and carry a big stick. Except in this day and age, even a whisper by an American President becomes a roar heard ‘round the world.
Well, listen up, folks. Finally, we have an American President who see the world accurately, understands our power and position, and recognizes the opportunity to make the world a far better place. And for once, a leader with the guts to hunt down the bad guys. And whack 'em with that big stick.
President Bush leaves office in late January, 2009.
3 years more of the adults being in charge.
Cool.
Not any more.
We should have let Hitler take out the Soviet Union before we crushed him, but the communists within our own government had other ideas..
Just as they do today.
Those who are cackling over Hamas' victory are the most ignorant of those in the debate. First, this is the dying gasp of such moves. The Palestinians are having their first opportunity to vote, really, and they are behaving like little kids--they want to show how big and tough they are.
That attitude will mellow as they realize they have to get along with others.
The point isn't that all democracies are great. The point is democracies can deal with each other, and are less likely to go to war with each other. A world of democracies is the free person's alternative to Marx's nightmare.
It's not preemptive when you go to war against someone who has routinely been firing missiles at your country's pilots.
Here here, this is worth repeating.
"It's not preemptive when you go to war against someone who has routinely been firing missiles at your country's pilots."
I seem to be forgetting something here, Did Serbia attack us first, or did the Rapist in Cheif, Slick Willie Clintoon, order a pre-emtive bombing of Serbia, and then commenced to reign down death and destruction on the Serbian Christian people below for 90 consecutive days, including bombing women and children on school busses on their way to school?
The end results of Clintoon's mindless pre-emptive strike of Serbia was the handing over of Kosovo to the drug lords, murderers and terrorists so they'd have a base from which to continue their murders, drug deals and drug money laundering to help fund islamic terror. Great job Clinton, you the man.
Slick Willie should have been impeached, tarred and feathered, then dropped by parachute over Osama bin Laden's cave, to act as his lifetime anal sex toy. A dirty job which Clinton had much experience in, as he screwed 300 million people for 8 years.
An extension of the Bush Doctrine?
One good thing about a democracy is that people will always seek to vote for that which is in their best self interest. Sticking a stick in your neighbor's eye is not in you best self interest.
What a great read, thanks!
Bush is Trajan.
The next president will be Hadrian.
A dirty job which Clinton had much experience in, as he screwed 300 million people for 8 years.>>>>>>>>>>>>
True, true, but some of them seemed to thouroughly enjoy it and seemed quite confused as to why the rest of us were not happy to bend over and grab our ankles.
A world of democracies is the free person's alternative to Marx's nightmare.>>>>>>>>
A world of REPUBLICS is the free person's alternative, actual democracies tend to evolve into nightmares.
One good thing about a democracy is that people will always seek to vote for that which is in their best self interest.>>>>>>
The operative word here is seek, unfortunately people often fail to find what they seek, quite often they vote against their best interests.
Don't be so technical, you know what I mean. I should have written a world OF democracy, and I'm not going into that boring and trendy "We're not a democracy" debate when we both know what I meant--nations in which the people choose their manner of governance instead of having it thrust on them.
I don't listen to the post speech analysis, not even on Fox. They all talk from predictable points of view and often miss the real meat of a Bush presentation.
No, I prefer to wait and read what real people, real informed conservatives have to say.
In a three minute read Tom Adkins has nailed it. I had the same feelings about the speech. Once again this site is the best place to get a true reading of conservatives and what they are thinking. Great job Tom.
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