The Day I Lost All Credibility As Being Anything More Than A Partisan Hack

by ROSS
DOUTHAT

Probably it was the day I wrote this: 

In its month-long crab walk toward a military confrontation with Libya’s Muammar el-Qaddafi, the Obama administration has delivered a clinic in the liberal way of war.

Now you might say, 'Hey, Douthat, you'd never say that about Shrubya.'  Not true.  Fact is, I was very critical of his conduct of the war--I recommended winning and Shrubbie kept losing.  Till finally we won by not losing so much as just plain leaving.  And now Iraq is a virtual paradise of a sham democracy.  


So lookie here, Obama: We do want not our presidents to act carefully and thoughtfully, weighing the risks and the benefits or considering the humanitarian issues at stake.  We do want our presidents to act boldly, impulsively, even stupidly--as long as they do it without asking anyone else. (Especially not France.) 


"Why?" asks the liberal Stanlinist-wanna-bes of the New York Times.  Simple.  Because if our nation can't bomb anyone anytime in the name of made-up national security, then who am I?  Just some aging balding twat. But as long as America can toss its bombs where ever it likes, I'm special.  Is it any wonder I hate Roosevelt so much?  You don't ask the British what they want to do--you just tell them.  And if they don't do what you want, you bomb them too.  But most importantly, if there's any way for any Republican operative to attack any Obama, he must attack.  It's just the way things are.  


I think that's what America is all about.  After all, it's not how pointless the war or the body count--it's about how it's done. (In other words, it ought to be done like two boys playing with plastic toy soldiers; not by a committee of people asking a lot of stupid questions about 'exit stategy this' and 'made-up intelligence that'.)




#rossdouthat