Coming Battle Of Words And Reason

Forbes.com/columnists ^ | 11.26.01 (on web 11.11.01) | Paul Johnson

[ThePythonicCow]

Current Events
Coming Battle Of Words And Reason
Paul Johnson, Forbes Magazine, 11.26.01

America's Coming Battle Of Words And Reason

It has become clear, following the first weeks of the war against terrorism, that there is a need for a powerful, intelligent and global pro-America propaganda effort. It would be difficult to think of a cause that has more justice on its side or in which America's efforts are directed more clearly toward the welfare of all peoples than the war against terrorism. Yet the degree and intensity of anti-Americanism in the world is disturbing and needs to be countered by positive efforts on a large scale.



Take, for instance, the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. President Bush's decision not to implement it (which has direct relevance to the antiterror war) has engendered dislike of America amongst an ill-informed public in many countries. The decision was a mark of Bush's honesty, and in politics honesty nearly always takes courage. Bush knows that few of the industrialized countries endorsing Kyoto intend to implement the accords in any way that will damage their economies or diminish their wealth production. He also knows that if the U.S. government were to endorse Kyoto, Congress, the media and public opinion would insist that it be honored in practice. There is no conclusive scientific proof that the current phase of "global warming" is the result of human activities. There is even less evidence to suggest that curbing specificactivities would cool down the world. But one thing is certain: Implementing Kyoto would severely diminish the U.S.' capacity to produce wealth. In such circumstances, rejecting Kyoto was the only sensible and honest course Bush could follow.

What few people outside America realize is that White House skepticism on global warming is not simply the natural instinct of the world's largest economy to reject a policy of self-inflicted wounds. It is based on science. American institutions and agencies have devoted more time and money to researching global warming than the rest of the world put together. The consensus of this work is that the case for global warming is unproven and that to impose legal restrictions on legitimate economic activities in the absence of clear proof that such laws would benefit humanity is contrary to reason. Indeed, it can fairly be said that the essential dynamic behind Kyoto, as with earlier scares about the world's running out of resources, has been emotion, not reason. Most of the people campaigning for Kyoto throughout the world are not scientists but enthusiasts for whom environmentalism is an article of faith and a substitute for religion. To such zealots anti-Americanism fits neatly into their emotional worldview.

No one disputes that when a catastrophe threatens the human race, the U.S., as the world's strongest power, has a duty to take the lead in fighting the menace. But threats to humanity come in various shapes and constitute varying degrees of danger. Global warming--if it exists and if it poses such a threat--is a nebulous concept, still the subject of unresolved scientific argument as to its causes, consequences and remedies.

International terrorism, by contrast, is a clear and present danger, whose consequences for ordinary men and women have been horribly and visibly demonstrated. It may be that the events of Sept. 11 alerted the civilized world just in time. Had we continued to drift, Clinton-like, for another two or three years on the easy tide of indifference to terrorism, the fanatics might well have begun their large-scale campaign to dictate to the world not with the hijackings of aircraft but with the use of H-bombs.

The world has been roused and, led by America, is now taking international terrorism seriously for the first time. It is attacking terrorist bases and host states; it is arming against terrorism by creating new forces, weapons and intelligence systems. But these efforts are going to cost a vast and increasing amount of money and resources, most of which will be supplied by the U.S. Now is not the time to diminish America's ability to make this effort against an overwhelmingly obvious threat to humanity by paralyzing its muscle-power in order to meet an unproven--possibly imaginary--one. That is why I say there is a direct connection between Bush's reasonable refusal to implement Kyoto and his decision to wage war on terrorism.

But these arguments need to be explained to the world in clear and decisive language. At the moment, however, America lacks the machinery to fight the battle of words and reason.

Paul Johnson, eminent British historian and author; Lee Kuan Yew, senior minister of Singapore; and Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico; in addition to Forbes Chairman Caspar W. Weinberger, are now periodically writing this column. To see past Current Events columns, visit our Web site at www.forbes.com/currentevents.

[ThePythonicCow]

The decision was a mark of Bush's honesty, and in politics honesty nearly always takes courage.

Bush ... honesty. Yup.

[PoorMuttly]

The ill-informed can kiss my un-royal American ass.

[this_ol_patriot]

Yet the degree and intensity of anti-Americanism in the world is disturbing and needs to be countered by positive efforts on a large scale.

The reason for this is simple, for the last 8 years under Clinton, America has been anti-American. Foreign entities are using the exact same tactics and cliches that the Clintonites used against America. Our America is being bashed because Clinton-Amerika said it was ok. The solution is a badly needed re-training of the world with respect to American power. The WOT is a good start.

[ThePythonicCow]

At the moment, however, America lacks the machinery to fight the battle of words and reason.

We may lack the machinery, but we got a good start on one critical piece of it. Bush. His U.N. speech was more straight talk than I've heard from that podium in a long time.

[jjbrouwer]

Hey, great screenname! I thought it was something to do with Monty till I read your profile.

[ThePythonicCow]

It does have something to do with Monty Python. The author of the Python programming language, Guido von Rossum, named it after Monty Python, which he enjoyed watching at the time.

[lambo]

A bump for the masterful, as always, Paul Johnson.

Besides, if we nuke the Taleban, won't that contribute to a reversal of global warming? Or was all that talk in the 80's about a nuclear winter just malarkey?

[Texasforever]

Or was all that talk in the 80's about a nuclear winter just malarkey?

That statement works on so many levels. I bow to your wit.

[jjbrouwer]

Obviously a man with good taste.

[FreedomPoster]

This cow?

Click for larger image;
cow is very small in the thumbnail.

Nice handle, either way.

[FreedomPoster]

And back to the real topic -

In general, I find the editiorials in Forbes to be some of the most well-reasoned, sage writing around. Those from Forbes himself, the eds from Cap, folks like this - they tend to all be solid, thought-provoking material.

We do need to do a better job in telling the American story to the world. We have become so enamored of glorious "multiculturalism" (barf) that we have almost forgotten that "the American Way" (enterprise, hard work, keeping your nose clean and to the grindstone, limited government etc.) really is a superior way of life, and is the reason so many long to come here. We need to tell that story more and better.

Do we need Radio Free Arabia to communicate with the (misled) Muslim masses?

[jjbrouwer]

(Pink Floyd's cow)

[meenie]

What should we say to the rest of the world? Would, "What part of no don't you SOB's understand" be a start?

[jjbrouwer]

Yet the degree and intensity of anti-Americanism in the world is disturbing and needs to be countered by positive efforts on a large scale.

Well from our point of view, Britain has always been a big fan.

[ThePythonicCow]

chuckle, chuckle ... a flying cow.
I hadn't seen that before - thanks.

[ThePythonicCow]

Do we need Radio Free Arabia to communicate with the (misled) Muslim masses?

Didn't we just start that - see House Passes Radio Free Afghanistan Bill . I've seen other reports on this as well, that they have some sort of "war room" so that they can quickly get out new messages.

[ThePythonicCow]

Do we need Radio Free Arabia to communicate with the (misled) Muslim masses?

Didn't we just start that - see House Passes Radio Free Afghanistan Bill . I've seen other reports on this as well, that they have some sort of "war room" so that they can quickly get out new messages.

[lodwick]

Excellent post - good job, thanks, JL