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November 11, 2005
GW speaks truth to power -- 'bout time.
Excerpts from the President Veterant's Day Speech, citing things that he shouldn't have to say if his opponents and the MSM were actually honest:
Islamic radicalism is more like a loose network with many branches than an army under a single command. Yet these operatives fighting on scattered battlefields share a similar ideology and vision for our world. We know the vision of the radicals because they have openly stated it in videos, in audiotapes, in letters, in declarations and on websites.
First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions.
Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, quote, "their resources, their sons and money to driving the infidels out of our lands."
The tactics of al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists have been consistent for a quarter of a century. They hit us, and they expect us to run. Last month the world learned of a letter written by al Qaeda's number-two man, a guy named Zawahiri. And he wrote this letter to his chief deputy in Iraq, the terrorist Zarqawi. In it, Zawahiri points to the Vietnam War as a model for al Qaeda. This is what he said. "The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam and how they ran and left their agents is noteworthy." * [...]
Our enemy is utterly committed. As Zarqawi has vowed: We will either achieve victory over the human race or we will pass to the eternal life. And a civilized world knows very well that other fanatics in history -- from Hitler to Stalin to Pol Pot -- consumed whole nations in war and genocide before leaving the stage of history.
Evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously, and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply. [...]
The influence of Islamic radicalism is also magnified by helpers and enablers. They've been sheltered by authoritarian regimes, allies of convenience like Iran and Syria, that share the goal of hurting America and modern Muslim governments, and use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, on America and on the Jews.* [...]
We're facing a radical ideology with inalterable objectives to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world. No act of ours invited the rage of killers, and no concession, bribe or act of appeasement would change or limit their plans for murder. On the contrary, they target nations whose behavior they believe they can change through violence.* [...]
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples, claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent. Zarqawi has said that Americans are, quote, "the most cowardly of God's creatures." But let us be clear, it is cowardice that seeks to kill children and the elderly with car bombs, and cuts the throat of a bound captive, and targets worshipers leaving a mosque. It is courage that liberated more than 50 million people from tyranny. * [...]
General David Petraeus says Iraqis are in the fight. They're fighting and dying for their country, and they're fighting increasingly well.
This progress is not easy, but it is steady. And no fair-minded person should ignore, deny or dismiss the achievements of the Iraqi people.
And our debate at home must also be fair-minded. One of the hallmarks of a free society and what makes our country strong is that our political leaders can discuss their differences openly, even in times of war.* [...]
When I made the decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, Congress approved it with strong bipartisan support. I also recognize that some of our fellow citizens and elected officials didn't support the liberation of Iraq, and that is their right, and I respect it. As president and commander in chief, I (accept ?) the responsibilities and the criticisms and the consequences that come with such a solemn decision. While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decisions or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how that war began.
Some Democrats and antiwar critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and misled the American people about why we went to war. These critics are fully aware that a bipartisan Senate investigation found no evidence of political pressure to change the intelligence community's judgments related to Iraq's weapons programs. They also know that intelligence agencies from around the world agreed with our assessment of Saddam Hussein. They know the United Nations passed more than a dozen resolutions citing his development and possession of weapons of mass destruction. [...]
The stakes in the global war on terror are too high, and the national interest is too important for politicians to throw out false charges. These baseless attacks send the wrong signal to our troops and to an enemy that is questioning America's will. [...]*
This is difficult and it's a long-term project, yet there's no alternative to it. Our future and the future of the region are linked. If the broader Middle East is left to grow in bitterness, if countries remain in misery while radicals stir the resentment of millions, then that part of the world will be a source of endless conflict and mounting danger in our generation and for the next.* [...]
We don't know the course of our own struggle will take or the sacrifices that might lie ahead. We do know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice. *
Posted by Darleen at November 11, 2005 04:05 PM
Comments
Digging the pull quote, Dar. Seems almost … hmm … familiar somehow …
Posted by: Jeff Harrell at November 11, 2005 07:17 PM
Basically administration propaganda.
However, Mr Bush was correct in going to war if he sincerly beleived the US to be in danger.
But that was then, this is now.
Time for a change, and rehashing old arguments isn't going to increase public support for this war....
Posted by: Carl W. Goss at November 12, 2005 08:05 AM
Carl
I contend that much of the decrease in public support is due to the relentless and rarely countered Big Lies perpetuated by such as Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, M. Albright and the eager but lazy liberals in the MSM.
Tell a neighborhood often enough that Sissy in the pink house is a witch, with no challenging truth to lies and who would be surprised that Sissy's house "spontaneously" catches fire?
Posted by: Darleen at November 12, 2005 12:21 PM
You know what's most hilarious about this "essay" from darleen? Truth to Power in her headline. Darleen, darling, Bush IS power. Now I know you Orwellian neo-fascists enjoy the game of Newspeak, but you DO understand that he is the president, don't you? I know he can barely get five words off of his tongue without sounding like a learning disabled fourth grader, but he still IS the purported President. So he IS the power. He can't speak truth TO power, because he IS the power. Get it?
OK, now when he fed cherrypicked intelligence to our representatives, giving them only the supporting evidence and not the negative arguments, that was very wrong. That was an affront to our democracy. When they voted to give him a blank check, basically to do whatever he saw fit, that was VERY wrong, an abdication of their constitutional obligations. BOTH sides were very wrong in the way they took our nation to war. The WH was dishonest and the Congress was cowardly.
Now we as Americans are stuck with our bad leadership, and sorry, honey, we aren't living in your fascist paradise yet. We DO get to speak truth TO power. You and your silly McCarthyite pals are really falling out of the loop. I don't know a single person who wants this war to continue, including those who voted for Bush, including those who still support the guy. They'll say "I'm for Bush, but he's wrong abaout this war. We need to get out". That's called the WILL OF THE PEOPLE, dearie. That's called DEMOCRACY.
You can't fight a protracted war without the support of theh people. You can't fight a protracted war that the people don't understand the reason for. And you can't make up hysterical fearmongering and insults to patriotism into a reason for war.
Why do you so hate America, darleen? Why do you so hate democracy and a free, open society?
Posted by: Snick at November 13, 2005 05:33 AM