Posted on 03/16/2004 9:13:25 PM PST by Congressman Billybob
John / Billybob
Thank you Congressman Billyboy ! Excellent article !Will We Face a Madrid Mistake?
Excerpt:
I had the extreme displeasure last week of hearing Professor Beau Grosscup of California State University at Chico, arguing on TV that we should understand the position of the terrorists, and on that basis we should negotiate with them. The host of the program on which this educated fool appeared missed the opportunity to ask the good professor whether we should have negotiated with Emperor Tojo, or with Der Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, because thats exactly where his views would have led sixty years ago.
Grosscup is a Professor of International Relations. To have a clue about how anyone could look at modern history as he does, here is the title of his doctoral dissertation: Isolationism and American Foreign Policy. A study of the debate over isolationist trends in US foreign policy, utilizing a Wittgensteinian scheme of explication and a comparative analysis of Chinese, Japanese, British and US foreign policies. As Tom Lehrer once said of mathematicians, it is important to understand how they got that way.
The situation in Spain prior to its 3/11 bombings was that Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznars Popular Party was headed for a close but solid win. Mr. Aznar, who had been a staunch ally of the US and a supporter of the war on terrorism, was expected to hand the reins of government over to his hand-picked successor. Then came the attacks. Three days later the Spaniards voted out the Popular Party and handed the government over to the Socialist, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who had announced in advance that he would pull Spains token 1,500 troops out of Iraq. It was, as many commentators have pointed out, a clear win for the terrorists.
What if anything does the Spanish experience suggest, as Americans approach our own election in the fall?
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
Now that we have seen what happened in Spain we ned to make sure that it won't happen here!
I agree wholeheartedly. The position of the terrorists is easy to understand. They want to kill us and destroy modern liberal democracy.
and on that basis we should negotiate with them
That's easy, too. Lots and lots of weapons and hard men to track them down and eliminate them.
Wow, we're doing that already. I guess Grosscup isn't really serious, then...
Will Americans fell safer sleeping at night with George Bush or John Kerry in the White House?
That's the one thing I'm hearing from a lot of people.
We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!
Absolutely. The Spanish election was a huge setback in the WOT and the left is going to run with it. W & the allies need to come down harder and harder. Unleash hell in the war we cannot see via spooks, independant contractors and opportunistic bad guys...
We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!
I agree with your two suppositions, but have a personal and less than optimistic view on each...
There are only two steps...
One is to smoke out the position of candidate Kerry,... to get him to commit to continuing the war on terrorism REGARDLESS of what the UN does or doesnt do.
IMHO, unlikely on either account.
Kerry has already clearly stated (over decades of "service") his position on such things. He and his allies are very clever at disguise and will continue to be successful (remember the clintons). Nobody on his side (which includes most of the media) cares to bright-line his exposed position. Their efforts will instead be to attack Bush and debunk the facts as part of the paid "Republican Attack Machine". The vasty middle of voters in American politics listens and reads the major media (viz. leftists), and large numbers will never perceive the contradictions - if they even care deeply.
Failing that, the only other alternative is to bury candidate Kerry in the polls, so it is clear even to the terrorists that he will not possibly be elected.
Again, unlikely. Polls can, and will, be rigged and skewed. The pollsters will ensure this race is a "photo-finish" right up to the end. It gets themselves more attention and lots of repeat business.
Remember, the Spanish polls swung about 10 points in the last three days. The terrorists, no matter what our polls say, will think they can pull the same thing here. I doubt Bush and Kerry will ever be more than 5 pts apart.
A devastating terrorist attack will certainly be scheduled, and will likely be executed to whatever results. Like the Socialists, the Democrats will surely be ready for an immediate response to pin that tail on Bush. I seriously doubt the Republicans will try and use it to political advantage and will be attending funerals instead of rallies.
The hatred against George Bush goes beyond the normal political give-and-take of an election. This one is vicious and revenge-driven. I see the hatred daily in the newpaper stories, in letters-to-the editor, on numerous TV channels, and hear it spoken openly in coffee shops and restaurants.
The campaign against Bush will be driven by hatred, not facts. A large terrorist attack will only make the volume and hatred louder, as in Spain. You cannot reason with terrorists or Liberals. Both are emotion and agenda driven.
The mushy middle voter will go with whichever slogans seem the "best" for him and his personal peace, safety and comfort. They will not be driven by "vision". Only the 40% already solidly in the Bush camp will be driven by that. You can see that in Bush's large slippage in the polls as the leftist propaganda machine takes effect.
Much of the middle live in a state of political confusion, and don't bother tham with the uncomfortable facts. They will vote for whichever side makes them feel most comfortable and offers them the most stuff. An awful terrorist act may signal it's time for a change to many of these weak-kneed middle-grounders. They may want to forget the War and return to things as "normal". After all, many flags have become faded and the "We Will Never Forget" stickers are disappearing.
I anticipate a close election.
It's a war to the death ~ theirs or ours!
Some of the sniveling whiners here on FR would like to see us lose the war on terror!
Keep you powder dry and be ever vigilant!
We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, snivelers, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.