March 17, 2006

MISS BOCK WAS WRONG TOO:

Democracy Push by Bush Attracts Doubters in Party (STEVEN R. WEISMAN, 3/17/06, NY Times)

The critics, who include Senators Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Richard G. Lugar of Indiana and Representative Henry J. Hyde of Illinois, as well as Henry Kissinger and Brent Scowcroft, are alarmed at the costs of military operations and of nation-building in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They have also been shaken by the victory of Hamas in Palestinian elections in January and by the gains Islamists scored in elections in Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon.

The administration, with support from legislators like Senators John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas, contends that whatever their outcome, elections are better than violent upheaval.


Mr. Kissinger helped prop up the Soviet Union. Mr. Scowcroft whiffed on both Tiananmen Square and the Shi'ite revolt against Saddam. Senator Hagel is a notorious nitwit. But you'd think Henry Hyde would have sense enough, and be a good enough Christian, to resent being grouped with guys who apparently prefer an America that supports Yassir Arafat, Saddam Hussein, the Assads, the Taliban, Charles Taylor, etc. -- because they at least keep things "stable" -- to one that supports the democratic yearnings of people beyond our own borders, even if it makes things a bit messy.

My 5th grade teacher was a former nun and one day she came out into the hall to yell at us: "At East Orange High School they may all be shooting heroin in the bathrooms but at least they're quiet when they change classes!"

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 17, 2006 11:46 AM
Comments

henry hyde was a good enough christian to cheat on his wife and have an out of wedlock child. this is a comment on hh, not on christians.

Posted by: toe at March 17, 2006 12:44 PM

We all sin, but few have done as much good as Mr Hyde.

Posted by: oj at March 17, 2006 12:48 PM

All of these people should realize by now that all dictatorships are disasters waiting to happen, that all are potentially one heartbeat, one breath away from utter catastrophe, and that the only recourse is to start bringing them down on your schedule, not the schedule the dictator's cardiovascular system is on.

Instead, they want to eschew the hard work of leadership - actually taking the lead - to the easy procratination of keeping unstable dictatorial systems in place because, hey, they throw great parties! (Or something.)

Realists, my foot!

Posted by: Mikey at March 17, 2006 1:24 PM

When they demonstrate they can be reasonable leaders would be the time to respond ... reasonably. The Rabbi from the mountain may be the best conduit in the meantime. They're wise to seek his opinion. "Hope springs eternal."

Posted by: Genecis at March 17, 2006 2:16 PM

so in fact he isn't a good christian, which is your original point. if he did some good, it was by accident.

Posted by: toe at March 17, 2006 2:16 PM

Mikey;

No, the goal is push any problems beyond one's personal timeframe. "Apres mois, le deluge".

Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at March 17, 2006 2:44 PM

toe:

Then only Christ was a good Christian.

Posted by: oj at March 17, 2006 2:53 PM

AOG - procratination with a champagne toast.

Posted by: Mikey at March 17, 2006 4:40 PM

Islamo-fascism cannot be defeated by maintaining dictators. It's already been tried throughout the 90's. These old men just don't want to admit that their realpolitik just doesn't work anymore.

Posted by: morry at March 17, 2006 5:58 PM

"Then only Christ was a good Christian."

Exactly. Wasn't that what Chesterson was driving at?

Posted by: jdkelly at March 17, 2006 6:37 PM

Not really. Chesterton was rather forgiving of our mortality.

Posted by: oj at March 17, 2006 6:44 PM

Agreed, but the point remains. No one measures up.

Posted by: jdkelly at March 17, 2006 7:33 PM

Which is why we call ourselves Christians, not Christs.

Posted by: oj at March 17, 2006 8:22 PM

I think we're both nit picking. Pace.

Posted by: jdkelly at March 17, 2006 8:56 PM
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