Posted on 02/20/2005 8:50:44 AM PST by Embraer2004
Bush Needs To Look At Self Before Making Threats Foreign Policy Reeks Of Piety Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist
POSTED: 6:16 pm EST February 18, 2005
President George W. Bush should look into the mirror before giving orders and threatening other nations.
His militant foreign policy reeks of piety and is selectively threatening to several nations.
Fortunately he is still guided by the art of the possible, and that does not include Iran and North Korea at this time.
Syria is another story -- weaker, more vulnerable and easier to push around.
At a news conference Thursday, Bush demanded that Syria end its occupation of Lebanon, but he stopped short of accusing Syria of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. An investigation to assign blame is under way.
It would also help if Bush were to practice what he preaches. His orders to Syria might carry more weight if the United States were not occupying Iraq, digging in for the long haul with reported plans for more than one dozen permanent military bases there.
He also is denouncing Iran and North Korea for pursuing nuclear arms, while the United States is studying a new generation of nuclear battlefield weapons and bunker busters.
Furthermore, Bush decries the terrorists who "target innocent civilians," while conveniently forgetting that the United States has dropped tons of bombs on Iraq since launching its invasion nearly two years ago.
The refusal of the Bush administration to count the Iraqi dead makes it easier to overlook that sad toll.
Syria has been on the administration's radar screen for a long time, with U.S. officials delivering everything short of ultimatums. Bush said Syria is "out of step" with the Middle East -- assuming, of course, that the definition of "normal" requires a massive U.S. military presence in the region.
Backed by Congress, Bush has imposed economic sanctions on Syria after accusing it of harboring terrorists and former Saddam loyalists.
Meantime, Bush has warned Damascus it risks further isolation unless it plays ball.
In his speeches lately, Bush has been accenting a more positive goal of spreading democracy and liberty in the Middle East, rather than his usual drumbeat against terrorism.
His political mentor, Karl Rove, who has added foreign affairs to his portfolio, told a gathering of conservative activists and students Thursday that Bush is "seizing the mantle of idealism."
Well, that shouldn't stop Bush and Rove from realizing that spreading democracy by force is destabilizing the Middle East and adding to the terrorist forces in the region.
The United States has a history of spreading democracy in the Middle East peacefully, through universities, libraries and diplomacy.
Bush's tone toward Iran and North Korea was less belligerent than the threats tossed at Syria.
A reporter asked Bush:
"If, as you say, the development of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, and if the administration's concern for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- which proved to be unfounded -- drove an invasion to seek regime change, how concerned should Americans, and for that matter, the world, be that the true identification of weapons in Iran or North Korea might not lead to the same sort of attack?"
Bush replied: "Well, first, Iran is different from Iraq -- very different."
He said the international community was convinced that Saddam Husssein had weapons of mass destruction. In the case of Iran, Bush said there is "more diplomacy to be done."
He also stressed that North Korea is "not Iraq. It's a different situation. So, it's time for us to work with friends and allies" to find a solution.
Bush met with reporters to announce the selection of John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, to be the director of national intelligence and to pull together the work of 15 different government agencies.
His news conference was a prelude to his fence-mending journey to Europe next week, where foreign leaders will urge him to join in conciliatory talks with Iran and to be more collaborative in dealing with other trouble spots.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paved the way in separate trips to Europe recently, leaving messages with noticeably softer tones.
It's all part of the administration sales plan to try to repair the American image that was badly damaged as a result of the invasion of Iraq.
LOL. No, I'm sure Helen having better collection yet!
Helen looks the way she does because of the hatred in her soul.
Hate does that, ya know.
Poowa widdoh Sywwwia. Wee's aw-ways pickin' on de poowah widdow Sywians ohvah mean oh Webanon.
This witch is like bad weather. She blows and rains but the end result is gone in minutes after the initial blowing of the windy dunce.
First off Helen, those who of neccessity, live in houses without mirrors, should not throw suggestions that others should look in the mirror.
We all know what your reaction would be, MS Thomas, should President Bush decided tomorrow that pleasing you is priority one and declare war on Iran and North Korea, just to stop your taunts and make you happy. Your very next column and every one there after, would condemn his actions, and portray Iran and Korea as victems of a shoot from the hip cowboy, who over reacted as usual.
I've heard that Michael Moore thinks you are hot, Helen. Why don't you hook up with him and procreate?........Never mind!
Well, duh. Radical change is destabilizing in the short run. If stability were the goal, we could just kiss dictator butt and go on as before.
Mind you, eventually the dictators would overreach, thinking they would face no consequence and we would have to act.... Come to think of it, that's exactly what dictators and would-be dictators did with Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and Al Qaeda's 9/11 attacks.
Yeah, things may be less stable at present. But it's the only way to have a chance of long-term stability.
The amazing thing about this article, however, is how much it goes against the left-wing stereotypes of Bush and his administration: She write "Fortunately he is still guided by the art of the possible, and that does not include Iran and North Korea at this time." Usually the left portrays Bush has blindly out-of-control.
She also notes that Bush has said, "Iran is different from Iraq -- very different." and "[North Korea is] not Iraq. It's a different situation. So, it's time for us to work with friends and allies."
In short, Bush is treating each nation as a separate scenario -- which IMO is not just intelligent, but necessary. It's not clear to me, whether Helen Thomas means to criticize Bush or not for this. Either way, however, it goes against the normal left-wing take on Bush's foreign policy,
That "tons of bombs", 99% of which were targeted on and blew the HELL out of Saddam's regime, army, Batheist, and Insurgents, I'm fairly positive have NOT been FORGOTTEN.
..."The refusal of the Bush administration to count the Iraqi dead makes it easier to overlook that sad toll".
Aaahhhh ..... NO. Again, with certainty, I believe WE have been "counting the Iraqi Dead". Last I heard, around 800,000 or so IN MASS GRAVES !
Why Helen has not been put out to pasture yet, is just unbelievable. Is it me or does she advance a compelling argument for compulsory Euthanasia ??? ;^)
For this woman to suggest that anyone look at themself is hilarious! It simply debases anything she could write.
I will chip in the first dollar so we can get this mirror busting creature a piece of hightly polished steel so that she can contemplate her own ugliness.
She is the poster girl for communism.
You just had to post a pic of that fugly old hag, din'cha?
Right after I ate lunch, too.........
Damn, now where's the Pepto-Bismol?
;-)
Nah, Comrade Jeri-Curl gets woodies from Las Vegas showgirls.....
This fat old sow mos' def' doesn't qualify......
Bush Needs To Look At Self
At least he can look into mirror without breaking it or making it hurl.
There went breakfast.
;^)
Sorry, Helen. It's a victory tour - the President's Victory in the American election, the World's Victory in the Iraq election...
This is not a fence-mending tour, unless of course that proves to be a good way to keep the critters on the other side of the fence from coming over here and making a mess on our side.
UNNNGH!
Wonder if Helen has looked in a mirror lately.
Considering the context, this may very well be the idiotic sentence I've ever read.
No joke.
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