Posted on 04/28/2007 8:08:08 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
The Waning of the GOP
By William F. Buckley Jr.
The political problem of the Bush administration is grave, possibly beyond the point of rescue. The opinion polls are savagely decisive on the Iraq question. About 60 percent of Americans wish the war ended — wish at least a timetable for orderly withdrawal. What is going on in Congress is in the nature of accompaniment. The vote in Congress is simply another salient in the war against war in Iraq. Republican forces, with a couple of exceptions, held fast against the Democrats’ attempt to force Bush out of Iraq even if it required fiddling with the Constitution. President Bush will of course veto the bill, but its impact is critically important in the consolidation of public opinion. It can now accurately be said that the legislature, which writes the people’s laws, opposes the war.
Meanwhile, George Tenet, former head of the CIA, has just published a book which seems to demonstrate that there was one part ignorance, one part bullheadedness, in the high-level discussions before war became policy. Mr. Tenet at least appears to demonstrate that there was nothing in the nature of a genuine debate on the question. What he succeeded in doing was aborting a speech by Vice President Cheney which alleged a Saddam/al Qaeda relationship which had not in fact been established.
It isn’t that Tenet now doubts the lethality of the terrorists. What he disputed was an organizational connection which argued for war against Iraq as if Iraq were a vassal state of al Qaeda.
(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...
I’ve never heard that it was the Christian army that did the Romans in. Instead, barbarians and laziness on the part of the Romans were largely the cause.
I think Buckley has lost it.
et tu, William Buckley?
One of our favorite Conservative spokesmen?
I think Edward Gibbon considered Christianity one of the factors. Gibbon created quite a scandal for so arguing. Buckley hasn't "lost it" by repeating a theory that is centuries old.
This article is very sobering. We need both a moral rebirth and an historically great leader to galvanize the West. Bush is a good man, but he is not up to this task. A Churchill or Reagan figure is needed
He's one of Cheney's favorites, because - as Tenet points out - Cheney has been quoting Tenet, to defend the Iraq war, for years.
Since when do Conservatives base their positions on opinion polls?
If the pen is mightier than the sword, William F. Buckley, Jr. is taking his pen and stabbing the back of the American soldier with it.
“It can now accurately be said that the legislature, which writes the people’s laws, opposes the war.”
Not accurate enough, they oppose Bush and, therefore, the war.
this is one mighty cluster f***
By his logic, all these measures should become reality?
His argument is weak and listless.
The legislature also supports higher taxes, repeal of the 2nd amendment, illegal immigration ...
Should these also become reality?
The world is safer now that Saddam and his regime are no longer in power.
The reality is the CIA (along with about a dozen other Countries Intel organizations) thought Saddam had stockpiles of WMDs. Cheney is not "using" Tenent's words...he is simply stating a reality that can't be denied. The CINC gets Intel from the CIA and the CIA assessments at any given time.
Lastly, the reality is we moved on Iraq for a variety for a variety of reasons (post Sept 11th). Making sure that Saddam could never pose a risk via the WMD meathod was one of those reasons. And that has been accomplished (but is never pointed out!).
While we didn't find large stockpiles of fully manufactured WMDs (many which have short effective lifespan to begin with).....There is no question that the Saddam regime had all the capabilities of producing WMDs in a short time frame.
Tenet knows what he is doing here and it is shameful. This CINC showed him loyalty beyond what most understand. His actions now are despicable.
You heard right...
This war will not end if every American soldier left Iraq today.
If William F. Buckley wants to prove Osama Bin Laden right by espousing liberal Democrat anti-war talking points, he can do so, but don’t expect conservatives to not call him out on this.
If he wants to argue that because the legislature is against the war, that therefore this is the will of the people, then he is making a weak argument for endorsing al Qaeda’s resolution for Iraq.
The legislature has a litany of awful things it wants to become law that fly in the face of public support yet he uses that as a pillar of his argument.
He is wrong.
Tenet is puzzled that they have not hit us? The answer is simple: When the entire Democratic Party is working with you against the American Military and it’s efforts, why spoil it by driving your supporters back into Bush’s hands. Tenet does not have a brain.
I agree. It wasn’t the Christians that overpowered the Romans. They didn’t even have a military contingent. It was the barbarians and the only reason they won was because the Roman Senate attempted to micro-manage their legions. One thing the Romans did that worked for them for hundreds of years was make it a law that those that served in the Senate could only be there “ONE” year. Then, I believe, they had to wait five years before serving again. Senators in Rome used the Senate as a stepping stone for other offices. Most were part of the Equestrian military also.
Let' consider just two rather obvious parts of his piece.
"There is clearly organization in the strikes by the terrorists against our forces and against the civil government in Iraq, but whereas in Vietnam we had Hanoi as the operative headquarters of the enemy, we have no equivalent of that in Iraq, and that is a matter of paralyzing importance. All those bombings, explosions, assassinations: we are driven to believe that they are, so to speak, spontaneous."{emphasis mine}
Hello Bill? Have you ever heard of Iran home of the Khomeniacs?
Here is the real crux of the matter.
"When the Romans were challenged by Christianity, Rome fell. The generation of Christians moved by their faith overwhelmed the regimented reserves of the Roman state. "
Buckley reveals here his sense of total defeat. Not just in the War in Iraq but in the entire defense of civilization. He reveals here that he believes that indeed it is the last days of Rome and that nothing can be done to stem the decline. What he fails to see is that defeatism like his can only become a self fulfilling prophesy.
One could have equally or better made the case for the imminent death of America and the West in 1942. But the American people rallied and civilization survived. The American people are sleeping, not defeated. They have been put to sleep by the communists in the press and the democrat party. But they can still be awakened. Let's see what happens when the death toll in America is much, much higher than 9/11. I doubt the reaction will be to get down on the prayer rugs, bow to mecca and bray for mercy,
Sadly, and I do mean this sincerely, sadly, it is Buckley, not the West who is tired, old and defeated. He has degenerated into a depressed unhappy aging old plutocrat. How sad. His is a great example of a once great mind poisoned and eroded by drugs. I can do no more than wish him a happy, peaceful end.
Buckley is both right and wrong.
He’s right that the war has gotten unpopular, and people want to get it over with rather than let it drag on forever. He’s also right that Bush has not made the case for Saddam as a sponsor of terrorism and a threat to the world because of his WMDs.
But he’s wrong that Tenet is making a case. Tenet is a liar. The real problem is that Bush has sat there and let Tenet lie his head off. He did it while Tenet was stupidly left in his position as head of the CIA, and he is doing it now.
Why the hell doesn’t Bush speak up and tell the truth—that there were WMDs, that there were terrorist camps, that Saddam’s intelligence agency met with Mohammed Atta and sponsored al Qaeda, that Saddam was trying to buy African yellowcake, and that every Democrat from clinton on down was saying exactly that, until it became inconvenient.
Tenet suckered Bush—telling him, truthfully, that there was a grave risk of WMDs, and then proceding to lie about it as soon as Bush started the war. Tenet was the point man for the “Bush lied, People Died” propaganda campaign.
But it’s perfectly true that Bush has never answered these lies.
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