Steven Den Beste has an article by Walter Russell Mead in The National Interest mirrored on his site as part of his Essential Reading page. I’ve read it several times, and did so again today.
I’ve always viewed my attitude about international issues as being based on my military background, or the inherent western US philosophy (having grown up with John Wayne and James Stewart movies), or even just from being a Texan. All have had an influence. I’ve never really been able to define it completely, though.
I taught Military Theory at the Air Force Academy, along with Honor and Ethics. The two are really intertwined. Prior to the Gulf War, I told my students that our forces would swing around behind the Iraqi forces in Kuwait, cut them off, and destroy them. It was the logical approach, in my mind. Military maneuver has always been about turning the opponent’s flank, or making him think you were about to try that.
The cadets thought I was wrong, and that our goal was to get the Iraqis out of Kuwait, so we needed to attack them directly and push them out, perhaps even use an amphibious assault as one point of attack.
When the battle ended, and our forces did precisely what I predicted, the cadets all thought I was some kind of military genius. I’m not. I’m just Jacksonian. So is President Bush.
I think there’s something to the Texas link. After all, Andrew Jackson was the Grandfather of Texas. He sent Sam Houston down to stir up a little trouble (it was already brewing, but Jackson wanted to be sure!). When the Texicans needed backup in 1836, Jackson saw to it that Federal forces were availble if needed. He wanted Texas as part of the United States. The term used to describe such men at the time was “Go-Ahead Men.” Bush is the modern version of Go-Ahead. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. He could star in a Nike commercial.
Democrats used to be Jacksonian. Now they have departed from that spirit and become Wilsonian. Mead’s article spells it out, and I don’t want to plagarize his work. Think Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow WIlson and you will see Bush and Clinton; Hillary Clinton. Most Americans are also Jacksonian, and that bodes ill for Democrats this year. Jacksonians are willing to accept the fact that other people and nations may have differing opinions. But when those differences threaten the security of the United States, they should expect the full force of our military to be used to eliminate, not just abate, that threat.