“It’s time that America stood tall again as the real superpower that we are; time that we led the world on dealing with these terrible threats and building a durable peace instead of just hanging back and letting others show the way.”
Would you believe Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid?
When do you think he said it?
Has he been in the closet for the last three years?
More to follow. Bogey and his lovely bride are proud parents, but very tired right now.
Violet Anne Lifford, 7lb 13oz.
I remember the night our aircraft began bombing in Kosovo. I went outside and looked at the sky. I sincerely expected to eventually see missile reentry vehicles falling on us. The potential for disaster in going in when all of Europe and especially Russia were against it had me concerned. And the Russians had strong ties to Milosovich–strong enough that their prestige was on the line. They were already stung by collapse, and I worried they could take no more humiliation. Fortunately, Clinton had information I wasn’t privvy to, and the threat really wasn’t there.
Once it began, I wanted to see our forces go in and clean house. We didn’t do that. We kept up a bombing campaign. The reason given for the attack was that Milosovich was murdering innocents by the thousands. Bombing doesn’t stop that, only invasion. All I could think of during that time was that thousands more were being killed, and quickly so as to be done with the job before American soldiers hit the ground.
Guess what. It wasn’t happening. Clinton LIED! How often did you hear that? I don’t recall anything like that. I do remember Paul Harvey calling it Monica’s War. Paul Harvey.
But Americans got behind the invasion. We as a people saw (I think) this as something we needed to do as the remaining superpower.
Fast forward.
What has changed? The only thing that has changed is the political party of the President. How do we go from supporting a questionable war based on humanitarian causes to another one based in part on solid humanitarian issues and have almost half the population screaming? Disregard the WMD issue–something some will never do–and we had a humanitarian crisis at least ten times greater than the one in Kosovo. Yet people who supported that war don’t support this one.
For all the gnashing of teeth coming from the left, isn’t there at least some modicum of decency that will come out as, “We stopped the murderous regime from killing anyone else” and “We brought democracy to a people who have not seen anything like it in generations”?
WE. Not President Bush. The American people. Our military. We as a Nation made that happen. Granted, Dubya led. He made the tough choices. But we did it. Can those who hate Bush not feel any pride at all in what has just transpired? Is the hatred for Bush, who did far more for Iraq than Clinton did for Kosovo, so deep that nothing will attenuate it?
I don’t understand. I see Kosovo as the quagmire, where we kept troops in occupation for more than a decade. Yet people forgot they were even there. No daily news coverage. I don’t recall a daily harrangue from opposition politicians for an exit strategy or a timetable for withdrawl. And I shouldn’t expect to.
Far different from today.
Supporting our country and supporting the President can be exclusive. This isn’t Saddam’s regime where the two are inseparable. I didn’t support Clinton, but I did support the operations in Kosovo even though I didn’t agree with getting involved at the outset. All I can say now is that I simply want to see that half of the American public who hate George W. Bush at least quit harping. Our accomplishments in Afghanistan and Iraq overshadow anything we did in Kosovo.
But, that’s really the problem, isn’t it.
Here is coverage from adifferent perspective, and a look at what lies ahead. No bed of roses, but progress that will continue only if we hold firm in our commitment.
Stay safe, Wizz.
John Howard, a prime ally of Dubya’s and supporter of the US in general, was a featured panelist at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He, like many of us, has had his fill of the talk that George W. Bush needs to mend fences. The onus needs to be elswhere.
Mr Howard said anti-Americanism had already affected world co-operation.
“But is very important to remember it is confined to sectors of Europe – not all Europeans. In that debate there was a significantly different tone taken by the Latvian President to that taken by the German and other contributors,” Mr Howard said. “The British have a different view through their Government, but there remains in Britain some of the old jealousies that have always been there. “I found the French and German attitude has lingered longer than I thought it might, and longer than is in anyone’s interests.”
I’ll pause to allow the applause to die down.
When people talk about “allies” (John Kerry and Ted Kennedy come instantantly to mind), they really mean France and Germany. Those two nations are allies only in the sense that they belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which is supposed to be an alliance. But in the ’60s, France pulled out of NATO militarily because the US wouldn’t give De Gaulle nuclear weapons. Germany wants our troops gone, but our money to remain.
An ally is really a nation which shares a vision, and is willing to support that vision with action rather than talk. Neither France nor Germany share our vision. Even if they did, they would/could do little but talk.
Australia is an ally. Always has been. I pray they always will.
Good on ya, Oz.
Recently “people of size” (obese) have been grouped into that ever-expanding demographic of “handicapped persons.” I would like for any of you out there to take one look at Cpl. Casey Owens and tell me he is handicapped.
Man, does the pride show though?!
MARINE! ALWAYS!
This would get Ted Kennedy’s panties in a wad:
“We will build a statue for Bush,” said Ali Fadel, the former provincial council chairman. “He is the symbol of freedom.”
****UPDATE****
And TexasBug directs us to a blast from the past.
Powered by WordPress