Of global tests and global pariahs
So I note the brain trust (I use the term loosely) that is the Bush campaign team think they can make some political hay with Kerry's support for the notion of a 'global test' for foreign policy moves.
Let's see. The radical notion espoused here is that the US should actually worry when it can't convince trusted and long term allies to support it in its actions, and these boys think making this a campaign issue is actually gonna help their cause?
Heh.
Yeah, you guys really wanna bring this up. Sure ya do. The buncha geniuses who turned the world's sympathy following the horror of September 11 into worldwide derision when they cynically took an event on which hangs the grief of many thousands of their own countrymen as pretext to wage an entirely unrelated war really want to get into the subject of just what the international view is of their actions.
Beautiful. Poetic, even. So, what you're saying is: look, when longtime allies who've always come to our side in the past say 'erm... busy that week', it's nothing to worry about. When we go in the space of years to virtual pariah status in the international community, it's all no worries.
What you're saying is "hey, everybody, look over here! Yep, we're really so flagrantly sociopathic that we think it's perfectly normal that the rest of the planet now take us a bunch of triggerhappy nutbars (which yes, this administration is), and generally avoid us at parties. That we actually go off the deep end in indignation if someone actually suggests we pick up the phone and give the neighbours a call before blowing shit up right next to them."
It will, of course, resonate with certain more xenophobic members of their base. But, umm, guys, I expect you've already got their vote... Can't imagine this is gonna help you much beyond them.
And, of course, it's marvellously, perfectly revealing of the whole attitude of the thuggish louts that have hijacked the oval office, that they think they can get mileage out of this... revealing enough to alienate the many probably quite sensible folk among their population who might just now be thinking, gee, allies were kinda a nice thing to have in the day, weren't they...
Good luck with that, boys.
Let's see. The radical notion espoused here is that the US should actually worry when it can't convince trusted and long term allies to support it in its actions, and these boys think making this a campaign issue is actually gonna help their cause?
Heh.
Yeah, you guys really wanna bring this up. Sure ya do. The buncha geniuses who turned the world's sympathy following the horror of September 11 into worldwide derision when they cynically took an event on which hangs the grief of many thousands of their own countrymen as pretext to wage an entirely unrelated war really want to get into the subject of just what the international view is of their actions.
Beautiful. Poetic, even. So, what you're saying is: look, when longtime allies who've always come to our side in the past say 'erm... busy that week', it's nothing to worry about. When we go in the space of years to virtual pariah status in the international community, it's all no worries.
What you're saying is "hey, everybody, look over here! Yep, we're really so flagrantly sociopathic that we think it's perfectly normal that the rest of the planet now take us a bunch of triggerhappy nutbars (which yes, this administration is), and generally avoid us at parties. That we actually go off the deep end in indignation if someone actually suggests we pick up the phone and give the neighbours a call before blowing shit up right next to them."
It will, of course, resonate with certain more xenophobic members of their base. But, umm, guys, I expect you've already got their vote... Can't imagine this is gonna help you much beyond them.
And, of course, it's marvellously, perfectly revealing of the whole attitude of the thuggish louts that have hijacked the oval office, that they think they can get mileage out of this... revealing enough to alienate the many probably quite sensible folk among their population who might just now be thinking, gee, allies were kinda a nice thing to have in the day, weren't they...
Good luck with that, boys.
posted by AJM at 1:16 a.m. (Permanent Link)
