Lead By Example

Liberal Spin Doctors ^

[Triptolemo]

What would we do if a freely-elected Muslim theocracy came to power in Pakistan? What would we do if Iran suddenly announced that it possessed several nuclear weapons and the missile technology to deliver them? According to the Bush* Doctrine, we'd have to eliminate the potential threat with military action. This doctrine cannot possibly be consistently applied to all potentially-threatening, Iraq-like situations. At $200 billion a pop, these actions would have a significant effect on the economy. The cost to our foreign relations and world image would be incalculable. One shudders to think of the sinister plots that each action would engender. Let's get it right this time. Potential threats should indeed be confronted, but with the free world's greatest strengths: democracy, free trade, and the rule of law. By example, the amazing US civilization has led, and should continue to lead, the world in the direction of those strengths. It's a slow and plodding, yet inexorable, journey. Our former "enemies", Russia and China, with their WMD's, are moving in the right direction. So it can be with others. What a shame if the true legacy of 9/11 turns out to be more strife, conflict, and bloodshed. Better to engage Iraq diplomatically and economically rather than attempt to transform Iraqi society by force.

[dighton]

Okey-dokey.

Welcome to FreeRepublic.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Beats another "McBride versus the Untermensch" post. He'll run out of new screenames soon.

[MJY1288]

What the liberals would have us do is wait for a nuclear attack before doing something, and blame this administartion for failing to protect us. These limp wristed socialist pigs that call themselves liberals make me sick

[Stirner]

$200 billion a pop sounds like a lot. But what would be the cost of even a single mistake, one case in which the example of liberal democracy, free trade, rule of law did not do the trick (say against some group that hated all those things). The aftermath and cleanup of even a small nuclear war is going to be many trillions of dollars, not to mention the incalculable geopolitical effects.

[Mark Felton]

"At $200 billion a pop, these actions would have a significant effect on the economy."

This is why we must recover the expense of the operation from the country that was our enemy. Tax the people and sell the resources. "To the victor, goes the spoils"

[Uncle Miltie]

I think the Bush Doctrine II is summed up as: "No Terrorist Nuts with Nukes."

Iran, while radical and terror supporting, has not shown it is also nuts. The nature of a hypothetical Pakistani regime might require response or not, depending on whether they made clear they would nuke your house on a whim.

[Uncle Miltie]

"At $200 billion a pop, these actions would have a significant effect on the economy."

At $200B a pop, they are significantly less expensive than one misplaced nuke. Remember, New York is estimating the local costs of two airplane strikes at $98B.

[babyface00]

I posted a nice long reply over there (under CPK). It will be interesting to see if it stays up very long, or if there is a response (other than name-calling).

[Mark Felton]

Whatever the costs incurred, our enemy must pay the price. Their lives and fortunes would be forfeit.

If a potential enemy develops a nuclear weapon (and there is a high proboabiolity of it being used against us) then that enemy must be decimated before the nuclear capability becomes even more potent.

Enemies must be dealt with sooner, not later.

"It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past." -- Carl von Clausewitz.

"Don't delay. The best is the enemy of the good. By this I mean that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week. War is a very simple thing, and the determining characteristics are self confidence, speed and audacity. None of these things can be done perfectly, but all can be done good." -- George S. Patton, Jr: War As I Knew It

[Brookhaven]

This is the old "all or nothing" argument. If you can't find a perfect solution, you shouldn't do anything at all.

other examples:

If you can't go to Harvard, you shouldn't go to college at all.

If you can't kill all the mosquitos that carry the west nile virus, you shouldn't kill any.

Going to a community college is still better than no college at all. Killing some mosquitos will reduce the virus spead, even if it won't eliminate it.

[Mark Felton]

Perhaps we could send the NEA to their public schools and have them teach these young impressionable minds the value of unilateral nuclear disarmament, just as they have been doing in the US for the past 20+ years. They could also teach them to read a Bible in the name of multi-culturalism and give them Christian names for role-playing.