Caterwauling at Bush Risks Historic Opportunity

Opinion Journal ^ | 07/21/03 | ROBERT L. BARTLEY

[Pokey78]

A sane world would recognize, and eventually maybe even this one will, that the most important Iraqi development of the last week or so was the formation of the 25-person Governing Council. While of course still tenuous, it represents the first step toward a pluralistic Iraqi government, and toward consolidating the huge geopolitical gains President Bush won by toppling the Saddam's murderous regime.

[livius]

Good article. The Dems and the press are doing us all a dangerous misservice with their idiotic "caterwauling." This is not a time for politics as usual.

It's a time to examine what's going on and try to do everything possible to make the Bush plan succeed. This is a last chance: Islam may realize that life would be more fun if it learns to play nicely in the sandbox. We have to give it a chance, and I think this is part of Bush's approach. Will it respond?

If not, it's going to be all-out war. Maybe some Dems and the press relish this thought, but I, personally, would rather have Bush's strategy prevail than worry about my kids and grandkids having to spend their lives in a "Terminator" type warfare against Islamics. And while it may sound extreme, I think that's the option.

[Billthedrill]

The Baathist leadership of Syria is curbing its anti-American image, and has actually abandoned artillery and tank positions in Northern Lebanon, moving troops from near Beirut back toward its own border.

That was not altogether altruistic. The proximity of the First and Third Infantry Divisions had a little to do with that prudent redeployment.

Great article - BTT.

[GmbyMan]

Good article. I have been very skeptical about the roadmap to peace but let's be honest, of course there is going to be a palenstinian state. My only concern is that we will have this state shoved down the throat of the Isralis without a promise that terrorism will not be tolerated. Not sure that I agree with this idea. I'm willing to give Bush and Sharon the benefit of the doubt here. Once the Palestinian people are no longer committed to the destruction of Israel, we can all celebrate. I am not yet convinced that time has come.

regards,
Allen
Everything Politics

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[My2Cents]

Thoughful and informative article.

Foolish caterwauling about obscure intelligence disputes can only undermine his standing and authority.

But, of course, this is the naysayers' goal: to undermind Bush's standing and authority.

[Stultis]

This is not a time for politics as usual.

It is digusting. Liberals have been "caterwauling" for damn near 30 years about the United States sponsoring or exploiting authoritarian regimes (ignoring, of course, the context of our struggle against global communism). This is now revealed for the hypocrisy it always was, for now that an historic shift away from seeking "stability" via dictatorship in troubled regions is well underway, the left's only "contribution" is to undermine the process by magnifying the inevitable bumps along the road to increased global liberty, running inteference for thugs, and mislabling liberation as hegenomy.

And for a certain portion of the left it goes well beyond squandering an historic opportunity in favor of "politics as usual". There are plenty on the left who are not just cynical about freedom, but are outright hostile to it.