I’m tired of hearing all the bad news about Iraq. It’s time to recognize the good news too. This requires viewing the bigger picture, not just viewing the politicized movie of a fat, unshaven no-talent or the biased musings of a major media anchor.
Our military showed overwhelming competence and strength during the invasion of Iraq–not to mention the eventual capture of Saddam Hussein himself last year. Don’t forget that. There’s still an opportunity in Iraq to establish a pro-American beachhead in the midst of some of the greatest irrationality and potential dangers the world has ever known: none the least of which, Iran, still the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism. Simply put, it’s better to have an American-supported government watching over Iran than not. Terrorists recognize this fact, which is why they are relentlessly attacking our troops in Iraq. They understand the stakes, even though a majority of Americans (currently preparing to vote pacifist John Kerry into office) no longer seem to grasp them.
President Bush should be criticized. He has allowed the war in Iraq to become politicized in recent months and it shows. He has made too much of the torture of terrorist enemies in POW camps. Civilians and armed forces alike are, as a result, more vulnerable to atrocious victimizations such as beheadings. Why? When militant, violent individuals sense weakness and wavering they will exploit it. Iran is flexing its imaginary muscles and promising to develop and eventually use nuclear weapons against Israel and even the U.S.–and you can better believe they mean it. In a country controlled by violent, amoral religious fanatics, it’s only a question of acquiring the capability–not the intent. Al Qaeda and similar groups yet to achieve international fame continue on; who expected otherwise? Biological warfare and who knows what else remain ever-present possibilities on American soil, even as I write this. To win against terrorism, we must remain morally and psychologically strong. Despite his conceptual and tactical errors, President Bush is right when he claims we have helped bring the war against terrorism back to the Middle East and off U.S. soil, at least for now. Our socialist-pacifist intellectual/media establishment and, more importantly, the increasingly lax attitude of a majority of Americans are helping ensure that terrorism on a 9/11 scale (or worse) will be back on our soil before long. If it happens under President John Kerry’s watch, George W. Bush will still get all of the blame for all of the wrong reasons.
Those of us who are criticizing President Bush for the right reasons–for being too weak, not for being too strong–should (a) continue to do so; and (b) be prepared to support him, or somebody else in the future to unequivocally smash our enemies so the rest of us can continue to live in peace and freedom.
