Posted on 02/28/2003 4:00:26 AM PST by gridlock
I don’t fault Dan Rather for going to Baghdad. If someone had interviewed Hitler in ‘39 for three hours, we'd prize the tapes as an invaluable historical document. Every year the History Channel would run them without commercials: Hitler Unplugged.
(snip)
I’ve also been chewing on the President’s speech on the future of the Middle East. As with most of the Big Picture speeches, I didn’t expect that. At this point I feel like Emperor Palpatine, reclining back in my chair, sunk in my robes, murmuring everything is going exactly as I have foreseen. I am not alone here; I’m sure many got the same feeling I did the week after 9/11. I thought, well, this is it, the next World War - call it three or call if four, it’s here. This won’t be one campaign. This won’t be about symbolic reprisals or measured strategic responses. It’s root-and-branch time, and when it's done years from now everything will be better, or it will be cinders. That's how it seemed in September 2001.
(snip)
The world would change if we did nothing; now we seek to shape the change. Better this than letting the change shape us.
And so, God help us, to war.
(Excerpt) Read more at lileks.com ...
He is truly on-the-mark today.
Aside from FR, he is my one must hit page, every single day.
Click through. Read it all. Then bookmark.
Lileks doesn't agree with this but isn't it true that Bush is putting fear into men of other nations because of his resolve? Clinton never struck a nerve of fear in anyone because we and everyone else knew he was not a man of his word and always looked to polls to guide him. Like it or not Hitler instilled a great amount of fear in people. He did evil as planned.
It's a great article though. I appreciated this: "The world would change if we did nothing: now we seek to shape the change. Better this than letting the change shape us." Can't help but like this guy.
What made Rather’s trip such a waste was the water-kneed obsequiousness of it all. He was more interested in three full hours of bland conversation than 20 minutes of sharp discussion that ended with Saddam leaving the room. What was there to fear? Anyone think Saddam would have him shot? Stand up in the middle of the interview, put a round through Rather’s skull and yell at his dead body for five minutes? Since the Iraqis controlled the production facilities, CBS apparently feared they wouldn’t get the tape if Rather didn’t gargle with Meek Juice before each question. Fine. As long as you realize that Rather would have been tougher on the Pope. ...
Thought it would happen, no. Hoped it would happen, well maybe.
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.