Contentions readers might be interested in my Los Angeles Times op-ed today: “Bush’s Bluster.” In it, I raise a longstanding problem: the disconnect between the president’s grandiose rhetoric and the decidedly more modest actions of his administration.
You can defend Bush by saying that it is appropriate to use presidential speeches to set ambitious goals; even if they are not met, they can nudge lower-level officials in the right direction. The problem is that Bush seems to have done so little to turn his goals into actions, especially in the second term, that he has created a damaging credibility gap. Iran is a case in point. Bush has long talked of holding states to account for their support of terrorism and attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction. But there is not much evidence that he is doing much to hold Iran to account. Or Pakistan. Or Syria. That breeds contempt for American power-and lack of fear is far more dangerous for a superpower than lack of love (the problem that Obama et al. always complain about).
I hope the article doesn’t sound unduly negative. I am by no means suggesting the Bush administration has been a complete failure. I was part of a small minority at the Intelligence Squared debate in New York a few weeks ago that voted against this resolution, “Resolved, Bush 43 is the worst president of the last 50 years.” And it wasn’t just because I think the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations were far worse failures (although they were). It’s also because I believe Bush has gotten some big things right-notably the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the post-9/11 tax cuts that revived the economy, and the surge which saved the day in the war. The surge, in particular, revealed the obstinate Bush at his finest. Whereas his stubbornness has often been a major defect, in this instance it was a virtue, because it allowed him to hang tough when everyone else in Washington was wimping out.
But Bush will be judged harshly by history, I think, for a number of fiascoes. The most obvious of these are the failures to send adequate troop numbers to stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan after the overthrow of their previous regimes, the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, the dubious reliance on executive authority to enact tough anti-terrorism measures rather than trying to forge more of a congressional and public consensus, and of course the ongoing economic meltdown. It is just conceivable, however, that these failures which we know about may be dwarfed by two looming failures whose consequences are as yet unknown: the failure to stop the Iranian nuclear program and the failure to stop western Pakistan from becoming a sanctuary for jihadist terrorists. If Iran goes nuclear in the first year of the Obama administration, as now appears likely, or if there is an attack on the U.S. staged from Pakistan, which is at least possible, then I believe Bush’s reputation will suffer far more than it already has. On the other hand, if somehow we avoid the worst in both Iran and Pakistan, as well as in Afghanistan, then Bush’s standing may rebound.
It’s very clear that American Jews abandoned their kin by falling into the same trap as countless others during the 2008 election. Although the present conditions are quite different the political capital that this administration possesses supported by their overzealous factions, scary youth & control of the fawning media, it is clear, this administration is capable of anything. Everyone should pick up a copy of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. Unfortunately, Israel may have to go it alone again against the gathering threat of islamofascism.
will Olmert show spine in his last few weeks in office and more importantly will Bibi show spine with or without Livni in the coalition?
The forces are clearly aligning against Israel much stronger and much earlier than I thought. This will take some stern stuff to withstand and I think only with a broad coalition (Livni and possibly labor) will Bibi be able to withstand it.
Of course Livni will do everything she can (whether from within the government or in opposition) to undermine Bibi. This is going to get worse folks. Its piling on season in DC and beyond.
Wonder how much is in the new mega-budget for Hamas?
Ummm, doesn’t Egypt share a border with Gaza?
Why should Israel have anything to do with Gaza?
That poor wretch is already dead, already a corpse, probably already ash. The Palestinians have taken to cremating, so as to cover up the evidence of their tortues.
I don’t see the wisdom in typing diplomacy up in knots for corpses.
Israel should simply unleash, and keep unleashing until his remains are returned, and don’t stop just because the wimps in Washington lament “the escalation in violence.”
Bomb them. Bomb them like they’ve never been bombed before. Cut off all aid. Cut off every single utility, all energy, all water, EVERYTHING.
Make them howl.
Screw Hillary. If Bibi has any sense, he’ll pay exactly as much attention to her as Bill did when he was considering how to spend his evenings in the Oval Office.
J.Lichty is right about that Israel is about to be assailed by the U.S. in a way it has not since H.W. Bush was in the White House. The “diplomacy” of Obama, which this silly, vain, and amoral creature Clinton is carrying out, must be resisted. India, which admittedly isn’t in as vulnerable position vis-a-vis its neighbors or the U.S., told Obama to not even think of demanding that it compromise on Kashmir. Israel will have to, in a quieter way, tell the U.S. it will not imperil its security so Obama can win accolades on Arab tv.
Now, the call for a unity government makes sense in that it provides Netanyahu with broad public support for a confrontation with Obama. But what about Livni? Would it be possible to bring in Mofaz and Barak and leave her out? She’s likely to be a corrosive influence inside as welll as outside of the govenment.
the intellectual – and diplomatic – inconsistency of the ‘aid should never be used as a political weapon’ is remarkable – so let me remark on it…
…what are ‘economic sanctions’ but the explicit refusal to aid and assist a population we have issues with – a la south africa, iran, cuba, etc…?
if america wants to give hamas – excuse me, gaza – $900 million, that’s the policy of the US…
but why would it be wrong – or inconsistent – to simply to come back and say, “it ain’t ‘aid’ – it’s a ransom payment…’ because that, indeed, is what the israelis are de facto declaring…
the apparent irrelevance of shalit’s life notwithstanding, you’d think the ‘diplomats’ at foggy bottom could come up with language that doesn’t inherently insult the national security culture and societal grief of an ostensible ally…
…i do look forward to the iranians insisting that calls for sanctions are – de jure and de facto – illegal and improper because they would deny the population the necessities of life…
…between clinton’s state department and freeman’s nic, israel is about to discover that it is no longer an american friend…
my bet? we are going to see a ‘noraid’ paradigm emerge for israel.,..
Yet another example of the offensive double standards that passes as incisive commentary on this blog.
Tobin generously links lifting the blockade , sorry, restrictions on the delivery of foreign aid to the rabid terrorists in Gaza, to abiding by the ceasefire and the release of Shalit.
But not a word from Mr Tobin about the 20 parliamentarians seized by Israel, in apparent (but denied) retaliation for Shalit’s kidnapping, back in 2006.
Or the evidence that Hamas did abide by the ceasefire until the IDF brazenly broke it with their raid in November.
As always, every fact of force by Israel is utterly justifiable, anything done by the Palestinians is presumed to be the result of an incurable maliciousness.
#10
haven’t a clue about your ’20 parliamentarians’ assertion; will look into it…but the notion that hamas actually abided by a ceasefire…? dude, racket fire may not matter to you but it does to the country it’s aimed at…
…and, no – your hyperbole is just that: not every palestinian action is malicious and not every israeli force projection is justified…but which society – and which leadership – celebrates the soldiers who deliberately kill children? which society – and leadership – has parents that declare martyrdom by killing the enemy as a guarantor of paradise? which society – and leadership – kneecaps its rivals and tosses them off buildings?
…ho, that’s right – you’re someone who thinks the jews are so ominpotently evil that whatever the palestinains do, it’s the fault of the jews (or the israelis)…
i used to think that the golda meir line that the conflict will end when palestinans loved their children more than they hated the jews was fatuously arrogant…now i think she is a full 10 IQ points smarter (and a heckuva lot wiser) – than SOS clinton…
Aid should be used as a political weapon. Why not? Aren’t so-called sanctions, like those called for Iraq under Saddam and proposed for Iran today, restrictions on aid?
Why don’t we split hairs, Hillary.
Banyan, the equivalency isn’t quite there- those Parliamentarians are members of the terrorist organization that kidnapped Shalit, their family members know of their whereabouts and safety, etc.
It’s a false equivalency.
#7:
But… screwing Hillary is exactly what Bill didn’t do.
here’s how much is in the budget… actually much more than the 900M donated this week by obama
Obama to give ANOTHER $900M to Hamas-run ‘Palestine’
I remember those 1st days when Obama seemed to be making centrist picks. I thought Hillary represented some type of centrism. Well, folks, the liberals have achieved their power, and now they are being honest. It is their world, for at least the next 2 years, and it is a world of Edward Said and Noam Chomsky. This is the liberal of 09, and they are now showing their true colors.
To think, 80% of Jews voted for Obama, and now our tax dollars are going to rebuild Hamas, Chas Freeman is head of Intel, Clinton is hammering at Israel, and Samantha Powers is back. Hello?!!! Only 20% of Jews really saw this coming? The fact is that American Jews are spiritually loyal liberals, it has never been an intellectual exercise. When Peretz and Dershowitz said not to worry about Wright, Ayers, and Powers, everyone nodded their head and followed like good sheep.
It is so surreal.
hillary must have actually started reading her email that has been building for at least the last decade AGAINST israels policies. better late than never. welcome to reality madame secretary.