Month: January 2005

Two very different messages about the future of U.S. foreign policy were broadcast to the world on Inaugural Day Thursday, and listeners everywhere could be forgiven for feeling confused about their import. On the one hand, George W. Bush’s lofty rhetoric about his administration’s commitment to bring democracy, liberty and freedom to every country where … Continue reading “Bush, Cheney Team Up to Soften Americans for War on Iran”

By now you have probably heard about the Bush Administration’s secret plan to attack Iran and how US Special Forces units have been operating in the country for some time. Seymour Hersh, the maverick journalist for The New Yorker, broke the story earlier this week. "The immediate goals of the attacks would be to destroy, … Continue reading “Democrats and Iran: Look Who Supports Bush’s Next War”

Well, on the eve of Bush’s second inaugural, we finally got some good news about Operation Iraqi Freedom, already the worst foreign policy disaster – and potentially the worst military disaster – in America’s history. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said he was encouraged because "since June 1, there have been more Iraqi police … Continue reading “Outposts of Tyranny”

On Jan. 20, 2005, George W. Bush was sworn in for the second time as President of the United States. As I listened to the inauguration ceremony, I couldn’t help but contrast our current president with another George who found himself in the same position over two centuries ago. George Washington, remembered as a noble … Continue reading “Bush and Washington: A Tale of Two Georges”

President George W. Bush faces a difficult challenge in rallying U.S. public opinion behind his clarion call for spreading freedom and democracy abroad, according to a number of surveys published over the last two years. Those polls show that the general public is, if anything, less inclined to engage in a global crusade on behalf … Continue reading “Bush’s Democracy Crusade Defies Public Opinion”

As the U.S. occupation of Iraq heads toward its third year, there is a remarkable absence of debate over withdrawal, despite the evidence that a clear majority of the American people want out. Many conservatives are uneasy about the occupation, but they are unwilling to challenge the administration publicly. Most liberals in politics and the … Continue reading “Preventing or Fomenting Civil War?”

Midway through his inaugural address, when the president proclaimed "the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," I wondered if Bush or his speechwriters knew or cared how alien this ultra-revolutionary rhetoric would seem to conservatives of the old school – and soon had my answer: "Because we have acted in the great liberating … Continue reading “W and Dostoevsky”

Kicking off his second four-year term, President George W. Bush Thursday delivered an inaugural address filled with the righteous resolve and soaring rhetoric that are music to his core constituency but will almost certainly grate on the nerves of almost everybody else, both here and abroad. The speech, which was studded with religious references, was … Continue reading “Bush: The Crusade Must Go On”

KIRKUK – It is Eid al-Athad, one of the holiest days in the Muslim calendar. It marks the day when Abraham saved his son Isaac from sacrifice after a lamb was offered up instead. Earlier in the morning most families have killed a sheep for the holiday. Kurdish residents of Kirkuk later went door to … Continue reading “Kirkuk at the Crossroads”

One doubts that there were enough memorable phrases or stirring lines to make President Bush’s second inaugural address one of those that will be remembered for years. Nonetheless, it was a remarkably frank speech that offered citizens a reasonably honest look at how the president views his role over the next four years. That it … Continue reading “What Chance for Reality?”