Posted on 12/27/2006 6:26:37 PM PST by RetiredArmy
George Bush Is a Hero
By: Edward I. Koch
Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006
President George W. Bush, vilified by many, supported by some, is a hero to me.
Why do I say that? It's not because I agree with the president's domestic agenda. It's not because I think he's done a perfect job in the White House.
George Bush is a hero to me because he has courage.
The president does what he believes to be in the best interest of the United States. He sticks with his beliefs, no matter how intense the criticism and invective that are directed against him every day.
The enormous defeat President Bush suffered with the loss of both Houses of Congress has not caused him to retreat from his position that the U.S. alone now stands between a radical Islamic takeover of many of the world's governments in the next 30 or more years. If that takeover occurs, we will suffer an enslavement that will threaten our personal freedoms and take much of the world back into the Dark Ages.
Our major ally in this war against the forces of darkness, Great Britain, is still being led by an outstanding prime minister, Tony Blair. However, Blair will soon be set out to pasture, which means Great Britain will leave our side and join France, Germany, Spain, and other countries that foolishly believe they can tame the wolf at the door and convert it into a domestic pet that will live in peace with them.
These dreamers naively believe that if we feed the wolves what they demand, they will go away. But that won't happen.
Appeasement never works. The wolves always come back for more and more, and when we have nothing left to give, they come for us.
Radical Islamists are very much aware that we have shown fear. For example, we have allowed the people of Darfur — dark skinned Africans — to be terrorized, killed, raped, and taken as slaves by the supporters of the Sudanese government, radical Islamists.
The countries surrounding Iraq — Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan — made up of Sunni Arabs, know that for them, the wolves who are the radical Shia are already at their door. The New York Times reported on Dec. 13, 2006, "Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq's Shiites if the United States pulls its troops out of Iraq, according to American and Arab diplomats . . .
"The Saudis have argued strenuously against an American pullout from Iraq, citing fears that Iraq's minority Sunni Arab population would be massacred . . . The Bush administration is also working on a way to form a coalition of Sunni Arab nations and a moderate Shiite government in Iraq, along with the United States and Europe, to stand against ‘Iran, Syria and the terrorists."
This Saudi response will take place notwithstanding that until now, according to the Times, "The Saudis have been wary of supporting Sunnis in Iraq because their insurgency there has been led by extremists of al-Qaida, who are opposed to the kingdom's monarchy. But if Iraq's sectarian war worsened, the Saudis would line up with Sunni tribal leaders."
The Times article went on to state the opinion of an Arab expert, Nawaf Obaid, who was recently fired by the Saudi foreign minister after Obaid wrote an op ed in The Washington Post asserting that the Saudis were prepared in the event of an American pullout to engage in a "massive intervention to stop Iranian-backed Shiite militias from butchering Iraqi Sunnis."
Obaid went on "suggest[ing] that Saudi Arabia could cut world oil prices in half…a move that would be devastating to Iran."
The Times reported, "Arab diplomats . . . said that Mr. Obaid's column reflected the view of the Saudi government." When writing about affairs of state in distant places, unless you are on the scene talking to knowledgeable participants, the most reliable sources to support conjecture with "facts" are the superb reporters of the great international newspapers like The New York Times.
Surely this turn of events in Saudi Arabia undoubtedly replicated in other Sunni-dominated countries — Sunnis are 80 percent of the world's Muslim population. This will give support to my proposal, advanced nearly a year ago, that we tell our allies, regional and NATO, that we are getting out of Iraq unless they come in.
That may well work, and they will come in, in large part and share the casualties of combat and the financial costs of war.
Doing what I suggest is far better than simply pulling out, which is the direction in which we are headed, notwithstanding the president's opposition. I think at the moment simply getting out and not making an attempt to bring our allies in is supported by a majority of Americans and would be supported by a majority of Democrats in the Congress.
For me, staying is clearly preferable, provided we are not alone and are joined by our regional and NATO allies, aggressively taking on the difficult but necessary task of destroying radical Islam and its terrorist agenda if we don't want to see radical Islam destroy the Western world and moderate Arab states over the next generation, or as long as it takes for them to succeed.
Two other requirements are needed to bring the war in Iraq to a successful conclusion: First, require the Iraqi government to allow greater autonomy for the three regions — Kurd, Sunni, and Shia. The second requirement is that the national Iraqi government enact legislation that will divide all oil and natural gas revenues in a way similar to that of our own state of Alaska.
The Alaskan state government takes from those revenues all it will need to finance government and provide services and the balance is divided among the population of Alaska, in a profit sharing program. That would settle the major Sunni problem which has been being cut out of oil revenues because the country's oil is located only in Kurdish and Shiite areas.
If the Iraqi government refuses our demands, our reply should be "Goodbye. You're on your own." This proposal was suggested to me by Mike Sheppard in Chapel Hill, N.C.
It won't be easy to implement this proposal. But President Bush has courage.
Now is the time to use it.
Since yours is a spirited discussion that all of us want mediated, allow me to posit that the great Ronaldus Magnus proposed and got granted an Amnesty in 1986.
We probably don't need such measures now, but it kills me to see brothers fighting, when all of our resources are sorely needed.
He'll have a legacy for sure, and it will be up there with Reagan's.
Saddam is going to be swinging in the next 48 hours, and that is entirely Bush's 'fault.'
As is the fact that we have not been attacked since 9/11 to his credit (Rummy said that his success has actually worked against him because it has made it seem that the threat is not as great as it really is).
A free Afghanistan and Iraq, an unparalleled economic boom aren't going to go unnoticed by history either.
The Bush legacy will be powerful.
The things he has said on this thread about a man of character and integrity are vile.
btw, it's been nice talking with you, Jeff. I hope we 'meet' somewhere again here on FR.
True on all counts, Dubya-fan.
Unfortunately, the American Public has a pathologically-short attention span. For Bush 43 to appeal to the American Public is going to require a change of heart from the wretched DC/Big Media Press Corps (don't hold your breath, since they want to coronate that bitch ex-First "Lady"), OR a President with passion and a conviction that will fly over the heads of those dope-smoking "J-school" types that feed folks like my parents on the stupid nightly newscasts. Pretty tall order. Sorry for the run-on sentences.
Think globally (cough), act locally.
We're all on the same team.
Happy New Year. I'm pretty much confined to the Live Mark Levin Show thread. Peace be with you.
I voted for the guy, even kicked $X,XXX to the Swift Boat Vets during the '04 election, because I know and detest Democrats.
During the recall Rose Bird campaign, I was on my cop union PAC. The Demos really wooed us, hoping to get one cop union to break from the fold and join them in supporting her. We all shared a few adult beverages, really got them to let their greasy hair down. Several of them admitted to being 'Communist in orientation', but were quick to add, "But not on the Soviet model".
I'm a lifer as far as the "R" party goes, but right now it has jumped the track so to speak.
So when a Republican President proposes adding 12 to 20 million new voters, 80 to 99% of which will vote Democrat...?
Not to mention the enormous increase in welfare rolls? Remember, Reagan signed the Amnesty bill which denied the Amnesty beneficiaries welfare for the first five years.
Nowhere that I can find, has anyone proposed restricting the welfare eligibility.
And Reagan's Amnesty bill also had series penalties for hiring illegals.
But Dubya has even been more lax than Slickmeister in enforcement.
Spiff if you're there insert the chart.
Finally, if you've seen my home page, you know I don't really believe we have two competing political parties. The only reason I stay involved in politics is that I don't want every politician to think sticking a pair of scissors into an unborn infant's head is acceptable.
And after that little stunt in Hawaii involving Dog Chapman, I'm going to point out a certain emperor has no clothes.
Keep the faith, FRiend. Get involved. Volunteer to become a street-level party officer. Your vote still counts at that level, at the inconvenience of having to canvass your neighbors. Throw a party once a year and get to know them!
Have fun with Mark. :)
What lies, the President NEVER offered Amnesty, that is just your side's lie to stop serious discussion. You should be happy now and your still whining.
Pray for W and Our Troops
You lurk there, I know it.
Well said Ohio, but you know how the glass is always 1/10th empty for the fickle Consrvatives. Many are leftover bombshelter types. Basically Pukeannanites who have the luxury of never being in power.
Pray for W and our Troops
Bump for your excellent addition to this thread
If Bush's 'path to citizenship' isn't Amnesty, then what is it?
And one question: Why would a so called Republican president want millions of new citizens who historic voting pattern is of the opposition party?
Isn't it enough we lost California which now has two solid leftys for Senators? What am I missing?
Sorry if I offended anyone, just being a hardcore Republican ;^)
If not, on what do you base this rather odd fear of dictatorship.......especially from all the good men who have been President in your lifetime?
I don't have any problems that the founders didn't have also. The form of government they created was always to be a servant of the people; and they put safeguards into the Constitution to insure that.
My fear is based on the baseness of the human condition.
We're all human, Presidents, Congressmen, Senators, and judges included, and we can all fall into the trap that the condition entails.
I used to call it Guest Worker Program, but now it doesn't matter because you will get true amnesty. For the record, GW NEVER offered Amnesty. Path to citizenship is getting in line behind everyone else, but who cares now?
You never offended me because I don't recall a Republican stand running to mommy gummit to stop the mean Mexicans from taking my toilet cleaning job?? Some Republicans believe in Capitalism and Business, but not anymore.
Pray for W and Our Troops
LOL!!!, Will you complain when about 75% of these new citizens line up for welfare and gubbermint cheese?
And I'm certainly not going to knock your career choice. It's honest work!
So you clean toilets for a living?? Get an education and you can do better, especially in America.
Pray for W and Our Troops
You've found me out. :)
PERFECT description.
Living in fear and in hiding.
You've reminded me of my very conservative Christian upbringing, and my strong as steel Dad who was quite the opposite of these fearful isolationists who haunt this forum.
He laughed at bomb shelters. I guess I've inherited that quality from him, eh? :)
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