Victor Davis Hanson: Our Challenges in the Year Ahead

VDH Private Papers ^ | December 26, 2004 | Victor Davis Hanson

[quidnunc]

What we learned from three years of war.

No American President this century suffered the level of slander as did George Bush in the recent campaign. Yet despite Moveon.org, George Soros, Michael Moore, European hysteria, and the Hollywood elite, Mr. Bush won both a clear popular and electoral majority. He increased Republican control of the Congress, strengthened margins in the state legislatures and governorships, and is poised to reconstruct the Supreme Court. Blue-state America is left licking its wounds of rejection while the Democratic Party is about to engage in a bloody round of finger pointing and intra-party strife. If no incumbent has been so slurred as George W. Bush, not since Franklin Roosevelt has a sitting President so tightened his hold on the reins of government.

Although Mr. Bush has moved swiftly to reconstitute his cabinet along more uniform ideological lines, and is preparing conservative legislation running the gamut from entitlement reform to school choice, conventional wisdom suggests he will pause and take a breath in the war on terrorism. Because of worldwide furor over Iraq, and with American combat dead now exceeding 1,000 and the US military down to its last combat reserves, most might think that the neoconservative misadventure is over and the United States will return to a more multilateral, realist approach reminiscent of the four years of Bush senior’s earlier term or perhaps even Bill Clinton's quietism.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

FYI

[westmichman]

Hanson is one of the best brains we've got on foreign affairs. I believe that by the time Bush is done with these four years, the middle east will be completely changed because Israel will have straightened out their problems with Palestinians, and the other countries (Syria, Iran, et.al.) will see that they will have to change or become irrelevant.(or worse).

[ChicagoRighty]

Thanks. Great post, as usual.

[prairiebreeze]

ping to good article

[Peach]

Reading Ann Coulter's book today and I'd forgotten some of the shots the Rats have taken at the president. This article is a reminder as well.

[Mo1]

Thanks for the ping

In addition, while critics continue to flay away at the President, the world is changing in ways that bolster the Bush worldview. Pakistan is no longer an enemy, but a neutral. A shaken Libya volunteers information about its own roguery. The Gulf Sheikdoms are not only hunting terrorists, but talking of constitutional reforms. Afghanistan has real elections for the first time in its 5,000-year history, even as Syria is apprehensive that the world is finally eyeing its illegitimate occupation of Lebanon

[MJY1288]

Thanks for the ping,

The left has no issues to call their own, all they have is lies and propaganda to hurl at their opponents

[Always A Marine]

Bump to read later.

[CBart95]

Where does this guy Hanson get off talking so rationally? The nerve...talking about a big picture.

[Tolik]

    Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 

       Let me know if you want in or out

[PGalt]

Good article. Thanks for the post/link.

[FreedomPoster]

I assume you're talking about "How to Talk to a Liberal". I really need to finish that book, instead of surfing FR. She really tears things down to their essence. I'm about 1/3 through.

[Peach]

That's the book and she really does tear liberals apart and expose them for what they are. Hypocrites and, in some cases, traitors.

[bitt]

bttt

[Valin]

I believe that by the time Bush is done with these four years, the middle east will be completely changed because Israel will have straightened out their problems with Palestinians, and the other countries (Syria, Iran, et.al.) will see that they will have to change or become irrelevant.(or worse).


From our lips to Gods ear.

I beleive we will be on our way to straightening this out, BUT lets remember this part of the world has been a cesspool of tribal, ethnic, religious hatred for a very long time. And it's going to take a long time to "straighten" this out (if it can be). Lets remember it wasn't all that long ago in America you could get hanged if you were a certain color and tried to vote, or move into the wrong neighborhood.


And yet I remain optimistic.

[SweetCaroline]

BTTT

[westmichman]

I guess what I am implying is that there will be enough progress that the MSM will have to start giving Bush some credit for the movement towards more normalcy.

[Valin]

Beeeeeautiful Dreamer! :-)

[westmichman]

I may be a dreamer, but I do believe that Bush will eventually be hailed as one of the greatest presidents in history because of the actions he has implemented.