Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The "body disposal problem"
Liberal internationalism faces what might be called the "body disposal problem". Post-Saddam Iraq, with it's internationally recognized government, constitutes an embarassing counterexample of what liberal internationalism has declared impossible to achieve. A President John Kerry would have to brazen out any invitations to Baghdad, pretending not to recognize that he is visiting a government he had done everything in his power to strangle in its crib. Even a semi-successful Iraq will have the same terrifying effect on liberal internationalism as the collapse of the Berlin Wall had on the "permanent stability" of the Cold War. The only way around the guilt of wishing Iraq to fail is to assure oneself that it was never possible in the first place.
If in the next six months in Iraq the violence dissipated, the militias integrated or went to ground, the oil flowed, and the power stayed on, predict the emotional reaction of most Democratic activists.
8 Comments:
By 
, at
Thu Jun 15, 02:25:00 AM:
"We got the word out to the Iraqs & the terror little guys that we meant business." God Bless our Troops!
The people are behind us in the States even though I did/ didn't vote for it. I have a better way. A smarter way, what that is, you have to look in your ketchup to see, kinda like that magic eight ball thing. I have a hat and I have that hat and you don't.
By 
K. Pablo, at
Thu Jun 15, 08:45:00 AM:
I wonder if the seed of our own hubris is being sown with this latest news cycle. One of the weaknesses I would seek to avoid is that which led to the Dems being in their current pickle; that is, they laid the foundation of their current foreign policy based on transient unpopularity of the Iraq war during a difficult period. Fortunes in a long war are bound to fluctuate and the labile whims of the polled public are no foundation.
That's why I have been avoiding any appearance of crowing over the Zark/Fitzpatrick June. The best contrast to draw is between the sober and steady dedication George W.'s administration has shown and the flailing hyperbole, fear, and indecision from the left. I think this stance better reinforces the (justified) stereotype that the left cannot be trusted with national security.
Ah, but it's fun to twist the knife every once in a while....
Crosspatch, I would LOVE to see them stick to that "line" of yours after Most Americans have changed their minds and call bullshit on them!
By K. Pablo, at
Thu Jun 15, 09:15:00 AM:
woops, that should be "Fitzgerald".
By , at
Thu Jun 15, 01:15:00 PM:
quantum,
I vote for door number 2. With the networks and major papers cherry-picking and shaping the news to buttress that claim. It will be up to us to cipher through the bull-puckey. It will be especially apropos if the Democrats win a majority in either/both houses of Congress next fall, because they will then have to excercise some reponsibility regarding the agenda.
So yeah, they will work to "re-shape" reality, and many things will go down the memory hole.
Regardless, our soldiers and marines in Iraq have turned the page of history. All praise to the valiant men and women who have performed the hard work of liberty and victory.
-David
By Lanky_Bastard, at
Thu Jun 15, 02:02:00 PM:
I hope conservatives get their vindication soon, because no one is happy with the way Iraq is now.
Please tell me can I expect to hear the gloating soon. Six months would be great.
By TigerHawk, at
Thu Jun 15, 03:02:00 PM:
Lanky, good points as usual. I expect serious gloating by September, October at the latest.
By Chris, at
Thu Jun 15, 03:25:00 PM:
It's the economy, stupid!
What? The economy is good? Then that's not it.
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Thu Jun 15, 10:49:00 PM:
quantum, I'm with door number 2 also. Expect the books to start coming out on how we won in Iraq despite George Bush.
It would be a good time for the Iraqis (or the Bush Adminstration) to start restoring sane liberals to prominence by inviting some to Iraq. They don't have to be supporters of Bush, just people who allowed some understanding to penetrate. Joe Lieberman, Tom Friedman, Christorpher Hitchens - they wouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed in Iraq.
