Sunday, December 18, 2005
Roundup of Bush's national address tonight
Mr. Reynolds has the links. Watch the video of the speech, it's one of the best Bush has given in years. He covers all the points that need to be hit, and takes credit for the victories that he has helped to win.
And, aside from pointing out that we're obviously winning in Iraq, Afghanistan, and against terrorism and islamic jihadists in general (look, no terror attacks in 4 years), he slaps down the democrats very plainly, by saying that defeatism has politically partisan uses only. And that's always fun to hear.
UPDATE: Out of the many great lines in the speech, here's one I particularly liked: "Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory, and that is the road that will take them home". Quality, that.
Here's the complete text, with a video. Watch it, or read it. The speech is excellent. It's exactly the kind of thing a good president does.
Another UPDATE:
Here's a great piece on the absence of historical perspective in media reporting. I've been complaining about that for a long time. We've lost 2100 men and women in Iraq in over three years. There have been many days of war in American history where we have lost many multiples of that in one day of combat (and even in some days of peace as well--ie 9/11). Read the whole piece.
That article above refers to this one here, which is an amazing little piece. Here's one great line out of many that should provide enough reasons for you to read the whole thing as well:
If we we had lost 2000 people in Iraq and had achieved none of our objectives, than that would be worth decrying. However, we've had tremendous success in Iraq instead. While the fact that war demands a price in blood is something one may complain about, such complaints belong in philisophical treatises and fantasies of the mind. The world one lives in is much different than the world one wishes one lived in.
If one wants to engage with the world, than one has to face the tragedies of the world the best one can. One cannot disengage from reality. Complaining that life isn't perfect, and using it as an excuse to claim that we're losing a war, is foolish in the strongest sense of the word. We're paying a price in blood, but can one think of a better use for such sacrifices than bringing freedom and greater safety to a part of the world that has seldom known either and also helping to secure our own cherished liberties and security? What we're doing is worth it. I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise with their own good name and reputation behind such a statement.
And, aside from pointing out that we're obviously winning in Iraq, Afghanistan, and against terrorism and islamic jihadists in general (look, no terror attacks in 4 years), he slaps down the democrats very plainly, by saying that defeatism has politically partisan uses only. And that's always fun to hear.
UPDATE: Out of the many great lines in the speech, here's one I particularly liked: "Our forces in Iraq are on the road to victory, and that is the road that will take them home". Quality, that.
Here's the complete text, with a video. Watch it, or read it. The speech is excellent. It's exactly the kind of thing a good president does.
Another UPDATE:
Here's a great piece on the absence of historical perspective in media reporting. I've been complaining about that for a long time. We've lost 2100 men and women in Iraq in over three years. There have been many days of war in American history where we have lost many multiples of that in one day of combat (and even in some days of peace as well--ie 9/11). Read the whole piece.
That article above refers to this one here, which is an amazing little piece. Here's one great line out of many that should provide enough reasons for you to read the whole thing as well:
Utter ignorance of history enables any war with any casualties to be depicted in the media as an unmitigated disaster.
If we we had lost 2000 people in Iraq and had achieved none of our objectives, than that would be worth decrying. However, we've had tremendous success in Iraq instead. While the fact that war demands a price in blood is something one may complain about, such complaints belong in philisophical treatises and fantasies of the mind. The world one lives in is much different than the world one wishes one lived in.
If one wants to engage with the world, than one has to face the tragedies of the world the best one can. One cannot disengage from reality. Complaining that life isn't perfect, and using it as an excuse to claim that we're losing a war, is foolish in the strongest sense of the word. We're paying a price in blood, but can one think of a better use for such sacrifices than bringing freedom and greater safety to a part of the world that has seldom known either and also helping to secure our own cherished liberties and security? What we're doing is worth it. I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise with their own good name and reputation behind such a statement.
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