Kicking and Screaming into the 21st Century
George W. Bush is dragging America kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.
I say "kicking and screaming" because many American’s refuse to accept a future that is hard and trying and lacking the luxuries we have become accustomed to. The new millennium that many expected was the stuff of Hollywood dreams and Sci-Fi fantasies. These rose colored notions are neither practical nor realistic for the world we live in today.
In 1992 the elder Bush lost his bid for reelection for his seeming indifference to the economy. His opponent, Bill Clinton capitalized on this supposed unconcern by loudly proclaiming "It’s the economy, stupid!!". After the election Clinton proceeded to prove it by leading the country through an unprecedented decade of prosperity and growth. As welcome as this was to the pocket books of many Americans, it ignored the realities of the post cold war world.
This world was in most part the making of a former Hollywood B-movie actor and ex-sportscaster Ronald Reagan. From the end of World War 2 Reagan had dreamed of little else but rolling back the enslaving forces of communism, after seeing its first small enroaches in the film industry. His single-minded campaign was not just against the Soviet government, but the very idea that the state controlled its citizens’ destiny from cradle to the grave, denying basic human liberty and defying the Creator himself.
Reagan did oversee the fall of communism, but as frequently happens, when one bad idea fails evil men will grasp to another. At first, the idea would be subtle enough only to rise suspicion but little action in good men. As it is allowed to bear fruit and gain converts its real form is slowly revealed, to dominate and destroy peace, and stifle prosperity and freedom. Even with this realization the defenders of right are slow to react until something shocks them out of their lethargy.
That something came on September 11, 2001, though it shouldn’t have surprised us. The seeds of anarchy had been sown a decade earlier with the breakup of the Warsaw Pact. A failed bombing attempt was made on the Worlds Trade Center in 1993, and in 1998 a more spectacular strike on Americans in Kenya killed 247 people and injured 5000 more. The earlier failed attempt on the twin towers in no way discouraged Al-Quedi and Osoma bin Laden on making another more desperate try.
Surprisingly even this horrendous attack, the worst on US soil in history, failed to immediately awaken the country to the threat it faced. There began cries of withdrawal from the Middle East and the inevitable finger pointing. Many blamed America culture, claiming we hadn’t done enough for the world’s poor. Even more dangerous was the idea that if we ignored the terrorists and concern ourselves with domestic issues they would somehow go away. Fortunately for the nation, President George W. Bush didn’t engage in such wishful thinking and endless specualtion.
In the midst of the smoke and ashes rising from New York City, the subsequent chaos, and fears of further attacks, George Bush saw everything calmly and clearly. This was proven by his next decisive action, to carry the war to the enemy wherever on earth they were hiding. In this case it was far-off Afghanistan, then ruled by the corrupt and oppressive Taliban regime.
There were many reasons not to fight in Afghanistan, all of which were broadcast loudly in the media. The country itself was massive and land-locked, which meant few adequate bases from which to launch the attack, and most American carrier aircraft were short on range and long in tooth. Furthermore the US military was much smaller than during the recent Gulf War, and suffered from equipment and manpower shortages thanks to the lean budgets of the Clinton Presidency. Finally the Soviet defeat there in the 1980’s stood out in most experts minds as an example of what a primitive people could do to a major world power. All excuses meant little to George Bush who intended to strike back and redeem our country’s honor.
The astonishing victory in Afghanistan by US forces was aided by many of the same tribesman who we were told would drive us out. This set the stage for the next target in the war on terrorists and their supporters, Saddaam Hussein’s Iraq. Incredibly, the same critics who prophesied doom for America in Afghanistan were even more vocal about our chances in Iraq. This in spite of the demoralized and antiquated forces we would be facing. Bush brushed aside all doubts and beat the Iraqi’s in a three-week blitzkrieg on Baghdad.
Personally, I want the president to succeed in his noble cause, for despite our suffering economy and rising unemployment he sees the far greater danger of the terrorist threat. He can be likened to Abraham Lincoln, who ignored the noble idea of State’s Rights and saw the more righteous goal of ending slavery and preserving the Union. Likewise Winston Churchill reluctantly passed the mantle of world power to Franklin Roosevelt in WW 2 effectively dooming the British Empire but saving the world from a Nazi Dark Age.
We need such men to lead America into the new millennium. It is better to give up some freedoms to secure the nation than be dominated by a sick and twisted religion as the people of Afghanistan once were. Better to be led by a benevolent but determined commander-in-chief than be controlled by a sadistic and brutal dictator who will torture or murder any who defy him, as Iraq’s president, who led his country to ruin and dispair.
War seems likely again with Iran or North Korea. This becomes more certain as the mad dictator of the North openly brandishes nuclear weapons in the midst of peace talks with China and the US. With madmen such as this in open defiance of law and order, can we still say "It’s the economy stupid"?
Time to steel ourselves and reach for the more noble prize, not of American prosperity, but of spreading our ideals of fellowship and freedom throughout the world. As bad news arrive daily of more deaths in the Middle East, of bombings and wars, and a wildly fluctuating Wall Street, let us simply do as our far-seeing President has asked. "Stay the course".
I say "kicking and screaming" because many American’s refuse to accept a future that is hard and trying and lacking the luxuries we have become accustomed to. The new millennium that many expected was the stuff of Hollywood dreams and Sci-Fi fantasies. These rose colored notions are neither practical nor realistic for the world we live in today.
In 1992 the elder Bush lost his bid for reelection for his seeming indifference to the economy. His opponent, Bill Clinton capitalized on this supposed unconcern by loudly proclaiming "It’s the economy, stupid!!". After the election Clinton proceeded to prove it by leading the country through an unprecedented decade of prosperity and growth. As welcome as this was to the pocket books of many Americans, it ignored the realities of the post cold war world.
This world was in most part the making of a former Hollywood B-movie actor and ex-sportscaster Ronald Reagan. From the end of World War 2 Reagan had dreamed of little else but rolling back the enslaving forces of communism, after seeing its first small enroaches in the film industry. His single-minded campaign was not just against the Soviet government, but the very idea that the state controlled its citizens’ destiny from cradle to the grave, denying basic human liberty and defying the Creator himself.
Reagan did oversee the fall of communism, but as frequently happens, when one bad idea fails evil men will grasp to another. At first, the idea would be subtle enough only to rise suspicion but little action in good men. As it is allowed to bear fruit and gain converts its real form is slowly revealed, to dominate and destroy peace, and stifle prosperity and freedom. Even with this realization the defenders of right are slow to react until something shocks them out of their lethargy.
That something came on September 11, 2001, though it shouldn’t have surprised us. The seeds of anarchy had been sown a decade earlier with the breakup of the Warsaw Pact. A failed bombing attempt was made on the Worlds Trade Center in 1993, and in 1998 a more spectacular strike on Americans in Kenya killed 247 people and injured 5000 more. The earlier failed attempt on the twin towers in no way discouraged Al-Quedi and Osoma bin Laden on making another more desperate try.
Surprisingly even this horrendous attack, the worst on US soil in history, failed to immediately awaken the country to the threat it faced. There began cries of withdrawal from the Middle East and the inevitable finger pointing. Many blamed America culture, claiming we hadn’t done enough for the world’s poor. Even more dangerous was the idea that if we ignored the terrorists and concern ourselves with domestic issues they would somehow go away. Fortunately for the nation, President George W. Bush didn’t engage in such wishful thinking and endless specualtion.
In the midst of the smoke and ashes rising from New York City, the subsequent chaos, and fears of further attacks, George Bush saw everything calmly and clearly. This was proven by his next decisive action, to carry the war to the enemy wherever on earth they were hiding. In this case it was far-off Afghanistan, then ruled by the corrupt and oppressive Taliban regime.
There were many reasons not to fight in Afghanistan, all of which were broadcast loudly in the media. The country itself was massive and land-locked, which meant few adequate bases from which to launch the attack, and most American carrier aircraft were short on range and long in tooth. Furthermore the US military was much smaller than during the recent Gulf War, and suffered from equipment and manpower shortages thanks to the lean budgets of the Clinton Presidency. Finally the Soviet defeat there in the 1980’s stood out in most experts minds as an example of what a primitive people could do to a major world power. All excuses meant little to George Bush who intended to strike back and redeem our country’s honor.
The astonishing victory in Afghanistan by US forces was aided by many of the same tribesman who we were told would drive us out. This set the stage for the next target in the war on terrorists and their supporters, Saddaam Hussein’s Iraq. Incredibly, the same critics who prophesied doom for America in Afghanistan were even more vocal about our chances in Iraq. This in spite of the demoralized and antiquated forces we would be facing. Bush brushed aside all doubts and beat the Iraqi’s in a three-week blitzkrieg on Baghdad.
Personally, I want the president to succeed in his noble cause, for despite our suffering economy and rising unemployment he sees the far greater danger of the terrorist threat. He can be likened to Abraham Lincoln, who ignored the noble idea of State’s Rights and saw the more righteous goal of ending slavery and preserving the Union. Likewise Winston Churchill reluctantly passed the mantle of world power to Franklin Roosevelt in WW 2 effectively dooming the British Empire but saving the world from a Nazi Dark Age.
We need such men to lead America into the new millennium. It is better to give up some freedoms to secure the nation than be dominated by a sick and twisted religion as the people of Afghanistan once were. Better to be led by a benevolent but determined commander-in-chief than be controlled by a sadistic and brutal dictator who will torture or murder any who defy him, as Iraq’s president, who led his country to ruin and dispair.
War seems likely again with Iran or North Korea. This becomes more certain as the mad dictator of the North openly brandishes nuclear weapons in the midst of peace talks with China and the US. With madmen such as this in open defiance of law and order, can we still say "It’s the economy stupid"?
Time to steel ourselves and reach for the more noble prize, not of American prosperity, but of spreading our ideals of fellowship and freedom throughout the world. As bad news arrive daily of more deaths in the Middle East, of bombings and wars, and a wildly fluctuating Wall Street, let us simply do as our far-seeing President has asked. "Stay the course".
Military Reform Now
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