THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 68, March 17, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
PRESIDENT BUSH, THE IRAQI THREAT, & THE CONTORTED
REVELATIONS OF JONATHON ALTER
By Paul Walfield
Every now and then, those who oppose President Bush or the Republicans, or America as we know it, make it abundantly clear that their goal, their raison d'etre, is to obstruct and attack, and to do so without thought.
In a March 7, 2003, article for Newsweek entitled "Totally Unconvincing," Jonathon Alter, in all his wisdom, explains why he is so smart, and why the President is not. Mr. Alter explains, kind of, that President Bush has "got a good case" for going to war with Iraq, but no one else on the political Left, besides Jonathon, knows it.
Apparently, Jonathon is just too smart to be a part of any club that wants him as a mem- ber. While Jon had always viewed himself as a proud member of the "Left elite," the folks on the Left, the ones against any war with Iraq because they just don't have enough "evidence," don't get it, but Jon does.
Jon knows why America needs to go to war with Iraq, and he even knows why it has to be now.
Jon has figured out, all by himself mind you, and in his own words: "Terrorists can de- ploy weapons of mass destruction but they can't make them. That requires a rogue state. Over time, no rogue states--no terrorism of mass destruction." Jonnie had an epiphany. He knows that neither President Bush nor anyone else in the Bush administration ever said anything like that. If they had, Jon would not be the only Lefty to know that, as much as he dislikes Mr. Bush, the President is right to eliminate the Hussein regime and the sooner the better.
Jon explains that the President had an opportunity, during his press conference on March 6, 2003, to clear the air and finally convince the American people why we needed to invade Iraq, disarm that country, and eliminate the Saddam Hussein's regime.
Unfortunately, according to Jon, Mr. Bush blew it, "he made a hash out of it." President Bush did try, though. After all, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans agree that Saddam Hussein is toast. But, unlike Jon, they believe Mr. Bush when he tells them why taking out Iraq is in the best interests of American security. Jon just knows.
The rest of America remembers President Bush, in speech after speech for the past twelve months, explaining that "the world's worst dictators in possession of the world's worst weapons," is a very dangerous thing for America. Everyone who cared to listen had heard President Bush say that Saddam Hussein could pass off weapons of mass destruction to terrorists, who could then use them and "leave no fingerprints." But, not Jon. Nope. He figured that one out by himself and is befuddled as to why President Bush didn't mention that before.
Jon points to the problems the President has: "His two key mistakes: a failure to build momentum and a failure to drill down to a deeper, more compelling logic for war." Presi- dent Bush did not build momentum, according to Jon, because, even though he has waited for over a year now and still hasn't gone to war with Iraq, his statement that war is his last resort can't be believed. Jon just doesn't believe George Bush. No siree. When Mr. Bush says war is his last resort, it just doesn't fit in with the preconceived notion Jon and the Left have of President Bush.
Never mind that it's been over a year and there has been no war. Never mind that the President went to Congress and got authorization to wage war, as the critics asked him to do. And, never mind that President Bush went to the United Nations and got the Securi- ty Council to vote unanimously for America's resolution giving Saddam Hussein one last chance to disarm. Jon does not believe his President's sincerity when he says, war is his last choice. Therefore, President Bush, though he has convinced the vast majority of Americans of the necessity to use force if Saddam doesn't disarm, Jon sees a "lack of longterm thinking."
The fact that our allies, France, Germany and Russia, oppose America's desire to defend ourselves from tyrannical regimes is seen by Jon as our fault, a failure by George Bush. Jon does not view America's needs as important as being nice to governments that want you dead.
"Smart diplomacy is about preventing other countries from embarrassment, not causing it. Bush's satisfaction in being the principled loser in the UN Security Council is out- weighing his longterm interest in repairing relations with our allies." For Jon, the fact that nations that were once our allies now want us defenseless, vulnerable to attack and, at the very least, weakened is just a minor tiff.
Nations that want you to crumble are not your friends. Nations that actively work to prevent you from defending yourself, while, at the same time, endeavoring to strengthen your enemy, are not just not your friends, they are a step further down the line.
Jon does understand that Iraq must be dealt with now, having said: "I personally favor taking out Saddam now so that he's not Kim Jong Il in a few years." He believes that, while America must deal with Iraq now, America must also deal with North Korea uni- laterally and do it now.
Jon disagrees with President Bush that the problem with North Korea is a regional one. Rather, it needs to be dealt with bilaterally, the U.S.A. and North Korea, period. Of course, the Left wants President Bush to act "multilaterally" when it comes to Iraq, be- cause France is opposed to war with Iraq and President Bush can be accused of being a "cowboy," for going it alone.
But, when it comes to North Korea and President Bush's desire to approach the problem multilaterally, the Left accuses the President of being "extremely unwise." Jon ignored the President when he said at the press conference that America had tried talking to North Korea directly during the Clinton administration and that sure didn't work out. President Bush said he wanted South Korea, Russia, China, and Japan to be involved, but Jon disagrees.
Jon goes on to explain that, in spite of the fact that President Bush has been able to con- vince the vast majority of Americans to his way of thinking, "the president's deeper logi- cal problem relates to the way he uses the bully pulpit to make an argument."
Jon explains that President Bush just repeats assertions. According to Jon, the Presi- dent is strongly inclined to "assert, assert, assert until the message sinks in." Jon doesn't seem able to remember President Bush explaining why it is a bad thing for a ruthless dictator to have weapons of mass destruction. Jon forgot or missed Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech at the UN explaining why Saddam Hussein needs to be removed.
Jon seems to have forgotten just about every speech the President or any member of his administration has made about Iraq for the past twelve months. Jon seems only to be interested in his own miraculous revelations and lack of note-taking.
Though, it's not all bad. Jon, a Liberal, while not really figuring it out on his own, was able to accept the idea that it is a good idea to rid the world of Saddam Hussein and the sooner the better. This is a valid and wise conclusion, even if Jon had to rationalize that it was his idea all along and no one else's.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
American Government & the U.S. Presidency
The News Media & Political Bias
Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
The Middle East & the Problem of Iraq
Page Two
Page One
The Problem of Rogue States:
Iraq as a Case History
The Middle East & the Arabs
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology
and post-graduate study in behavioral and analytical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of
Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: paul.walfield@cox.net
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
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Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
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Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity