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What Year Is It? 1938? 1972? Or 1914?
WSJ, Atlantic Monthly ^
| August 15, 2006
| ROSS DOUTHAT
Posted on 08/15/2006 9:01:08 AM PDT by schu
Foreign-policy debates are usually easy to follow: Liberals battle conservatives, realists feud with idealists, doves vie with hawks. But well into the second Bush term, traditional categories are in a state of collapse.
***** Snip
There are five major schools of thought on this question, beginning with the "1942ists," who believe that we stand in Iraq today where the U.S. stood shortly after Pearl Harbor: bogged down against a fascist enemy and duty-bound to carry on the fight to victory.
***** Snip
Over the last year, though, many conservatives have been peeling away from '42ism, joining the "1938ists" instead, for whom Iran's march toward nuclear power is the equivalent of Hitler's 1930s brinkmanship.
***** Snip
'72ism has few mainstream politicians behind it, but a great many Americans, and it holds that George Bush is Nixon, Iraq is Vietnam, and that any attack on Iran or Syria would be equivalent to bombing Cambodia.
***** Snip
"1948ists," who share the '42ist and '38ist view of the war on terror as a major generational challenge, but insist that we should think about it in terms of Cold War-style containment and multilateralism, not Iraq-style pre-emption
***** Snip
But as our crisis deepens, it's worth considering 1914ism, and with it the possibility that all of us, whatever year we think it is, are poised on the edge of an abyss that nobody saw coming.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: foreignpolicy; geopolitics; terrorism; war
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Summary
1914ist - edge of the abyss 1938ist - appeasers 1942ist - carry on to victory 1948ist - long term cold war approach, minimal preemption 1972ist - peacenik
Which one are you?
1
posted on
08/15/2006 9:01:11 AM PDT
by
schu
To: schu
Redo:
1914ist - edge of the abyss
1938ist - appeasers
1942ist - carry on to victory
1948ist - long term cold war approach, minimal preemption 1972ist - peacenik
schu
2
posted on
08/15/2006 9:02:03 AM PDT
by
schu
To: schu
1967ist - last chance to fight a war to unconditional victory
3
posted on
08/15/2006 9:04:23 AM PDT
by
Comico Atómico
(Which major religion endorses lying to unbelievers?)
To: schu
4
posted on
08/15/2006 9:06:20 AM PDT
by
AntiGuv
("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
To: schu
"Which one are you?"
I'm for killing all the Islamofascists, all their supporters, financers, media fifth columnists, enablers, all their families, friends and relatives tomorrow morning and feeding them to the fish and pigs.
Just in case you were wondering.
5
posted on
08/15/2006 9:06:34 AM PDT
by
garyhope
(It's World War IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam.)
To: schu
2006, the year of missed opporunities.
I truly believe we will look back on this month as the last chance to prevent disaster.
Sadly, I also believe we will fail in that attempt.
Cheers,
knewshound
Latest article; Flooding the Zone; The coming war against Israel
6
posted on
08/15/2006 9:07:33 AM PDT
by
knews_hound
(Driving Liberals nuts since 1975 !)
To: schu
7
posted on
08/15/2006 9:09:01 AM PDT
by
kevkrom
(War is not about proportionality. Knitting is about proportionality. War is about winning.)
To: schu
I believe that the current geopolitical situation most closely resembles that of pre WW I. Extreme political alignment into two camps of hegemony, a whole new generation of devastating weapons that need real world testing, and alliances that put virtually all countries in an us-or-them category. The only resemblance to WWII is the anti-semitic rhetoric. Hitler was a far more formidable foe than that unkempt schoolteacher in Tehran.
8
posted on
08/15/2006 9:09:09 AM PDT
by
SpaceBar
To: schu
I'm a 1095ist.
9
posted on
08/15/2006 9:09:12 AM PDT
by
oldleft
To: oldleft; kevkrom
Should I assume that this means a new Crusade?
schu
10
posted on
08/15/2006 9:10:30 AM PDT
by
schu
To: schu
Yes, but I'm afraid that's just wishful thinking on my part.
11
posted on
08/15/2006 9:11:15 AM PDT
by
oldleft
To: schu
Definitely 1914. The homegrown opposition is for isolationism and the impending war will be fought dirty using WMD's just like WWI. I bet the isolationist sentiment before WWI grew from fatigue over years of adventure under Theodore Roosevelt. Just as in that time, we can't stop because the job is too hard.
Could be an exact replay right down the act that opens it.
12
posted on
08/15/2006 9:12:34 AM PDT
by
kinghorse
(I calls them like I sees them)
To: schu
>>But as our crisis deepens, it's worth considering 1914ism, and with it the possibility that all of us, whatever year we think it is, are poised on the edge of an abyss that nobody saw coming.<<
Nobody saw it coming?! Baloney. A transcript of Bush's speech after 911 lets us know Bush saw it coming. That is why we are in Iraq. Imagine the same Rina/syria/lebanon mess with a strong Saddam in Iraq.
Also, if you read the koran or went here you saw it coming:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/696408/posts
I'm a 1938ist, but in the context of my tagline. Except I now think it is 1939. It's gonna get worse before it gets better. A lot worse. It is literally unconscionable to most people in the west just how bad it can be - and probably will be.
13
posted on
08/15/2006 9:12:58 AM PDT
by
RobRoy
(Islam is more dangerous to the world now that Naziism was in 1937.)
To: schu
None of the above. Attempts to draw create false historical analogies are the behavior of sophomoric intellects.
Here is the crucial fact that shatters all the hysteric handwringings and breast beating of the Junk Media Always Whining types.
Our current enemies, all rolled into one "Axis" do not have the power to destroy the USA. We have the power available right now to crush any Conventional Military challenge in days if not hours.
Our enemies know this and will NOT face us across the battlefield. All this bluster and hand wringing in the Junk Media about "What year is it" is merely the prattle of drama queen hysterics with no clue what they are talking about.
History never repeats. The situation is always different if for no other reason then the previous events having all ready happened. This is a problem like no other. Trying to draw false analogies to previous wars is the behavior of room temperature intellects with NO clue about current factual military and political realities.
14
posted on
08/15/2006 9:13:28 AM PDT
by
MNJohnnie
(History shows us that if you are not willing to fight, you better be prepared to die)
To: garyhope
I'm for...You left out "barbeque their goats".
Other than that, it's a good list.
15
posted on
08/15/2006 9:15:43 AM PDT
by
DuncanWaring
(The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
To: schu
I'm a 1796ist and think we should call on Horatio Nelson.
16
posted on
08/15/2006 9:15:52 AM PDT
by
Skooz
(Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
To: schu
>>Should I assume that this means a new Crusade<<
In a sense, I think you are correct.
17
posted on
08/15/2006 9:16:20 AM PDT
by
RobRoy
(Islam is more dangerous to the world now that Naziism was in 1937.)
To: schu
You left out the Armageddonists. We are headed towards teh final battle.
To: MNJohnnie
Attempts to draw create false historical analogies are the behavior of sophomoric intellects. Well said.
19
posted on
08/15/2006 9:16:34 AM PDT
by
Skooz
(Chastity prays for me, piety sings...Modesty hides my thighs in her wings...)
To: RobRoy
Agree, many saw the disaster of 1914 with the interlocking treaties as a clear formula for disaster, which it was.
There is another date:
"For '19ists, Mr. Bush is Woodrow Wilson, a feckless idealist bent on sacrificing U.S. interests and global stability on the altar of messianic liberalism."
The 1919ists believe Bush is the equivalent of Wilson, seriously misguided and and idealist. In other words democracy will never succeed in the Middle East, we are just wasting our time, treasure and lives.
schu
20
posted on
08/15/2006 9:16:53 AM PDT
by
schu
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