The case can be made that everything you've done so far in your adminstration, Bush, has been in America's best interests. Certainly, one way to respond to a physical threat is to try to annihilate that threat, and to gradually transform - through economics, regime change, and warfare - the region where that threat originated.
The motivations for your dogged pursuit of America's strategic interests are still unclear to me. Patriotism? Divine inspiration? Avarice?
Regardless of the motivation, it's clear to me that you are looking out for #1 - that is, the United States. (Not necessarily it's citizens, mind you, but rather the state as a whole.) This has been our MO ever since independence. Which is not surprising, either. Nearly all countries act toward the same end.
But what if we had a new #1? What if #1 was peace and prosperity for all people? Then, when you looked out for number 1, you'd have to take into account all of the death and misery resulting from military actions that preserve America's "safety" (read: dominance) in the world. The victims of state violence would no longer be expendable.
I think it's time to make that change. At this moment in history, no one is threatening us with full-scale invasion. The physical safety of Americans is jeopardized not by our way of life but by our single-minded economic expansionism. At this time in history, we have some slack to begin assuaging the antogonism between states that leads to violence, economic ruin for the losers, and to the rise of extremism.
Yes, given the current state of things, we will sometimes have to resort to force. But what are we doing to start down the path of eventual peace? What are you doing, Bush? What are any of us doing?
May I be so bold as to suggest a place to start? Admit the failings of our Iraq policy to the international community, and bring forward a proposition to the United Nations through which the world can come together to stabilize that nation. Our vulnerability is on display already. Own up to it, and ask for help. Be the kind of leader the world can respect, and not just at the point of a gun. In a phrase, Bush, help America grow up.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Oh Cardozo... I have a few bridges I'd like to sell you;D... He's not even looking out for #1 [the US]. He's a bully, along with the Rottweiler, to see just how far they can go with all of this. They started a war in Afghanistan, never finished that one, jumped over to Iraq, haven't [and probably can't] finished that one, and this idiot is looking to start one in Iran! He is stirring up the pot so bad that we will have all of the terrorists over here, to take care of our terrorist! And then what? There is a pack mentality out there, what's China and Russia, and quite a few others going to do? Stand by our side whilst we try to fight them off? After all this administration has done, I'm not so sure... I feel bad for anyone trying to take this country over once he gets through with it. I hope each candidate reflects on this before they throw thier hat in the ring... Make damned sure of who you vote for, they are going to have a full deck to deal with!
A full deck, for sure.
"He's a bully...to see just how far they can go with all of this."
It's the "all of this" that gets glossed over too often, in my opinion. Just being a bully doesn't get you to be President. You have to have arguments that make sense to people.
Whether or not those arguments are correct or productive are a completely different story, but I believe you have to start from the premise of mutual respect.
He showed respect in the form of lies Cardozo. Not only lies but fear that the 'evil ones' were out to get us unless he was the president. No one knew what was going on but him and him alone, and every time someone would say something sensible and true, then they were part and parcel of the 'evil doers'. Those of us that could see all of this, for what it was, were wondering where the minds were of the others that were following this gibberish! There was no mutual respect involved... it was you wash my hands, I'll wash yours... if you don't, you'll go down for it. Those that didn't were publicly politically assassinated. I've sat here and watched it for 6 years...
Post a Comment