The "Ideological Battle of the 21st Century?"

By: Lowell
Published On: 9/1/2006 9:16:17 PM

The speeches this week by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were, to be blunt about it, an utter disgrace. 

First, Don Rumsfeld suggested in a speech this Tuesday that critics of the war in Iraq were engaged in pre-WWII-style appeasement, this time of "a new type of fascism."  Disgusting. 

Second, Dick Cheney asserted on Tuesday that the war on terror represented a "a battle for the future of civilization" and added that "[t]he terrorists have made Iraq the central front in this war."  Nonsense.

Finally, George W. Bush said that the Iraq war was "the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century," comparing today's terrorists to "fascists, to Nazis, to Communists and other totalitarians of the 20th century."  Utterly ridiculous.

At this point, I don't even listen to these guys.  I mean, seriously, if they really believe this garbage, then God help us all. Or, if they know that what they're saying is horse manure but are cynically using it to manipulate voters and rev up their "base" for November, then they deserve to be tossed out of office on their sorry behinds.  Comparing a bunch of thugs and terrorists to Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during WWII, or to the Soviet Union during the 40-year Cold War?  Have these people ever read history, or what?  Are they deranged?  Stupid? What's wrong with these guys?  And am I the only one who finds this type of rhetoric to be completely bonkers?

Well, here's Mark Shields on the subject, from tonight's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer:

The president said, in particularly the Salt Lake City speech, that this was the ideological battle of the 21st century, the battle of Iraq, upon its outcome and victory there, dependent victory in the battle of the war against terrorism.

If that's true, what the hell are we doing with 130,000 troops there? We ought to have half a million. Why haven't we mobilized the home front? Why aren't we paying for this? I mean, why, seriously, isn't the country on a war-footing, if that's really what he's talking about?

And comparing this to battle against communism, the Cold War, and comparing it to the battle against Nazism? I mean, to me, you're making a statement like that, and then you just totally contradict yourself by saying, "We're going to continue with this failed policy and this failed approach."

Exactly right. If this fight against terrorism really IS the equivalent of World War II or the Cold War, then why the HELL don't we have a draft, rationing, higher taxes to pay for the war, sacrifice on the part of the American people, as in World War II and the Cold War?  What the HELL is going on here?  Are Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld completely clueless or what?  What do you think?

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



Unbelievable...how stupid Neoconservatives are (bladerunner - 9/1/2006 9:45:50 PM)
It is so unreal how fucking dumb Bush/Cheney and Rumsfeld are. The Pentagon came out today and reported that it ain't looking good in Baghdad--as of we didn't know. June 1600 dead, July 1800 dead by sectarian violence in the Baghdad area...and the coroner reporter 90% were done by executions. What's really amazing is that Dick Cheney had 5 deferments and he doesn't mind sending kids off to war. What a piece of trash Dick Cheney is.
Bush's policy's in Iraq has made Iraq a terrorist state, much more than it ever was before. And staying the course is not a plan--it's time for a new plan--and people like Jim Webb will get ideas on the board. Plain and simple Bush and his followers have screwed up so bad, I can't put it into words. PATRIOTIC AMERICANS SHOULD BE OUTRAGED THAT A COCAINE SNORTING, ALOCOHOLIC, FUNDAMENTALIST ARMIGADEN BELIEVING THEOCRAT NAMED BUSH HAS GOTTEN US INTO THIS SHITHOUSE OF A SITUATION.


The war on terror (mkfox - 9/1/2006 10:16:41 PM)
is NOT WWII or the Civil War. Being a student of history, the biggest thing I learned was simply because something has been done before doesn't mean it should be done again. The Civil War was when half the nation committed treason by taking up arms against the other half and WWII was when two militaristic tyrannical nations were conquering Asia and Europe. I hope this administration isn't thinking of another Andersonville and internment camps.


They're cranking up their rhetoric before mid-term elections (RayH - 9/1/2006 10:24:33 PM)
It's demagoguery.

One big concern is that it is getting harder to know exactly where the real truth lies. I'm sure that these speeches by Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush cannot be trusted. Clearly, there are real terrorists who would like to cause us harm. I would like to have more confidence that our country is working effectively to end the terrorist threats and animosity toward the United States in countries around the world. It appears that our leaders are doing exactly the opposite. 



It's not a war, it's a police action (Bubby - 9/2/2006 12:00:23 PM)
And as a police action, it is subject to constant review and critique by civilian criminal experts and the general population.  But that wouldn't work if you were using the action as a political tool to prosecute another agenda - strategic energy control. The executive branch is using "war" as a device to deter dissent. America is being duped.


Self-Importance (Teddy - 9/2/2006 5:01:56 PM)
This is the President who capered about after his inauguration, saying he really, really liked being President. This is the President who happily announced after 9/11 that he was Now a War-time President! (hooray!)--- something apparently he really, really wanted to be in order to be placed by historians on the list of great Presidents.  This is the President who pompously flung his arms out on the aircraft carrier stalled off Long Beach so he could fly in and land thereon under a "Mission Accomplished" banner, and be really really admired as a plane jock and a warrior. 

And now this case of arrested adolescent development and his enablers are proclaiming "their" war is comparable to World War II, the Cold War, and every other great conflict all rolled into one? Really, really, they are.

Conclusion: one and all, they need professional help and should be quickly assigned to beds in the nearest hospital for the criminally insane. Quick, Henry the Flit! (For you young kiddies, this was a great advertising line promoting a new mosquito and insect killer marketed after World War II based, I believe, on DDT)