Thursday, November 16, 2006

Now Is The Time To Step Up And Force Real Dialogue

ALERT! ALERT!
THIS IS MY 1,000 POST!

What is indisputably clear is that our current course is totally unsustainable. That's just reality. It isn't that things have progressed too slowly in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's that the situation has deteriorated in both countries, to the point where Al Qaeda now has not one but two countries (not counting a nuclear-armed Pakistan) in which it is more or less free to operate. And the stronger they get, the more of our resources are needed to keep up. Yet we don't have the resources needed and aren't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get them. But we pretend that's not the case by insisting on our divine entitlement to magical victory and depicting those who claim otherwise as people who hate the troops and don't want to win.

Incremental changes and some mild limits on this administration are nice and welcomed. But the damage done to the United States by this administration over the last six years is truly severe. It's fundamental damage, and it requires much, much more than some tinkering around the edges. We need a debate and re-examination of the core premises of our foreign policy and our role in the world. That, in turn, requires a willingness to call into question the most sacred orthodoxies, which, in turn, requires real political leaders with the courage, credibility and skills to do that. Does anyone see any of those?


What is the morning without a little Greenwald with your coffee?

Aside from the fact that this happens to be my 1,000 post (yippee), once again Mr. Greenwald nails it.

"Does anyone see any of those?" Not really, I'm sorry to say. But, if this recent election is indicative of the changing winds, there is hope where none used to be. The fact that Washington (both parties) keeps spinning this Democratic party victory as the voice of the conservative American finally speaking, is proof positive that real dialogue is still a figment.

Ask that question again in six months when, perhaps, someone (or more than one) actually steps up to the plate.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have great confidence that the Democrats will do some great things. They'll do some truly stupid things. Just like the Republicans. The hard left within the Democrat party is marginal, similar to the hard right within the Republicans.

Doesn't matter which party carries power. Same result. Islamist oppression loses. The defeatists assume their usual position. Freedom always wins eventually.