Tuesday, July 08, 2003
(11:52 PM) | Adam Kotsko:
Bring "em" on
I was confused when I first heard the president utter that phrase on the radio. In fact, since I was listening to NPR, hotbed of communists, secular humanists, and Islamic fundamentalists, I thought it might have been a doctored tape (i.e., archived tape of something that Bill "Cowardly-Bitch-Who-Is-Too-Afraid-To-Fight-A-Stupid-Pointless-War" Clinton actually mumbled in his sleep while dreaming of being a real man who can attract women without the aid of being a rich heir and who can win elections, etc., altered to sound like our Dear Leader). But now I am no longer confused at all.
I know that's a couple-day-old link, but still. You haven't read it yet.
I don't understand where people get the perception that Democrats are weak when it comes to fighting wars. People seem to think that Gore, were he president, would have pussy-footed around on responding to 9-11, but let's take a look at his predecessor: he sent troops into at least Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo, all of which had approximately the same national-security relevance to the United States as does Iraq; he maintained consistent pressure on Iraq throughout his presidency, with sanctions and bombing campaigns. There's no reason to believe that Gore would have behaved any differently, unless poor poise in public speaking situations is an infallible indicator of wusshood (I don't know -- maybe it is). This is not to say that I approve of Clinton's military actions any more than I do of Bush's, but just to point out that much of what we laughingly call our nation's "political discourse" is not actually based in anything like the "facts."
Whoa, I have to go -- mosquito in the house! West Nile!
