pudge's Journal: Monsters

America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own.
-- John Quincy Adams

Pat Buchanan quoted this on Meet the Press last Sunday. I agree with it. The problem is that I disagree with Buchanan that if we leave the monsters abroad alone, that they will leave us alone.

Buchanan sat next to Natan Sharansky on this occasion, the author of the popular "The Case for Democracy," which Bush has drawn significantly from recently. Sharansky -- a human rights activist, Russian gulag prisoner for nine years, and now Israeli Minister -- argued that the U.S. was attacked because it is the leader of the free world. Because the free world threatens their way of life, and we are the symbol of that, so we are a target.

This is really the crux of the argument about Iraq, apart from whether the enterprise can succeed: is it in our interests to bring democracy to Iraq? Is it in our interests to prevent nukes in Iran? If we leave them alone, will they leave us alone?

200 years ago, in the days of Adams and his son, the answer was yes. Today, I believe it is no.

Whether our mission to bring democracy to the Middle East will succeed is another matter, and we can only try our best and hope and pray.

Yes

[stoolpigeon]

and if you doubt it look to europe. as accomodating as they have been in sympathizing with radical islam-- they are still under fire because the kind of people who took out the WTC are not looking for compromise- or even to be left alone. They are looking to force compliance upon everyone. The fact that we support Israel and some of our other actions are merely side issues.

I have good friends who have lived in Nigeria for quite a while and have been dealing with this for a long time. They were not su

Export Democracy!

[Dark Coder]

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Exporting democracy is the safest form of our national security.

Keep in mind, we do NOT want to export Republic-form of democracy (as in ours) as they are not subjected so easily to foreign influences so easily as with a pure-form of democracy.

We need to be able to exert considerable influence within our foreign policy.

Strike a nerve? Rant on...

Fascinating

[SimianOverlord]

I am extremely interested in how you feel Iraq, under Saddam, posed a threat to the US and how exactly all-out war was the only available means to neutralise that threat.

Re:Fascinating

[pudge]

No, you're not. If you were, you would read my many past words on the subject.

Yes, I am.

[SimianOverlord]

And furthermore I have convincingly refuted every one of your previous words on the subject. Please see my full comment history for said refutation.

Re:Yes, I am.

[pudge]

Shrug. I've written about it as the main topic of my journal many times in the last two years. This journal entry is not about that. If you care, go look, or wait until the next time I bring it up. If not, don't. I don't have any inclination to write at length about a topic just because you say you want me to.