It’s been a terrible year. We have all found renewed purpose and patriotism, we’ve all regained a badly needed sense of perspective, but few of us have fond memories of the past 12 months.
It’s not just about terrorism and international politics. The last year has seen 300 Roman Catholic priests removed from their positions for molesting children, we’ve seen corporate executives led away in handcuffs and been left wondering why so many others remain unindicted.
A year later, we’re all left feeling bruised, disillusioned and cynical. In 1999, some whiz kid became the Flavor of the Month by declaring “the death of cynicism.” If cynicism ever was dead, it’s certainly back out of the grave now.
The anniversary was yesterday; the future begins today, so let’s look to the future with the clear eyes of a citizenry that has lost its illusions. George W. Bush wants to make war on Iraq. He says he does not need Congress’s approval for this, but he’s asking for that approval anyway and says he wants it before Congress adjourns in October.
Why is that? Why does the president insist Congress vote yes or no on the Iraq question before the November election? The entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate is up for re-election. No politician wants to commit career suicide by voting against war days after the September 11th anniversary and weeks before the election.
For the past two months, Mr. Bush and Dick Cheney have done little else beside beat the war drum and raise money for Republican candidates. Mr. Bush has raised over $100 million this year, a new world’s record. Mr. Cheney’s fundraising peregrinations will bring him to Vermont next week; Republican donors will pay $5,000 each to sit with him for 15 minutes.
It has long been said of Americans that our political differences end at the water’s edge. Once a president girds his loins for war, he should leave politics behind, but George Bush is deliberately manipulating America’s profound grief for the political advantage of his party.
If Mr. Bush postpones the Iraq war question until after the election, if he lets Congress debate without a gun to its head, he’ll get better advice than if he rams the issue through in the next three weeks. If America is to go to war, if we are to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way, our leaders will need all the clear-headed advice they can get.
This week, French President Jacques Chirac publicly reminded Mr. Bush that France is America’s oldest ally. He vowed France will always be America’s friend, but as a friend, Mr. Chirac said Mr. Bush needs to proceed against Iraq with deliberation and consultation. He speaks for many in the European community. Last week, Nelson Mandela, perhaps the greatest statesman of our era, called Mr. Bush with much the same message. Mr. Bush refused to take the call.
The coming year may not be any easier than the one just past. Individual Americans will be called upon to perform acts of courage, whether we are the targets of irrational attacks, or if we are needed to stem our own nation’s irrationality.
Keep the Faith
It’s been a terrible year. We have all found renewed purpose and patriotism, we’ve all regained a badly needed sense of perspective, but few of us have fond memories of the past 12 months.
It’s not just about terrorism and international politics. The last year has seen 300 Roman Catholic priests removed from their positions for molesting children, we’ve seen corporate executives led away in handcuffs and been left wondering why so many others remain unindicted.
A year later, we’re all left feeling bruised, disillusioned and cynical. In 1999, some whiz kid became the Flavor of the Month by declaring “the death of cynicism.” If cynicism ever was dead, it’s certainly back out of the grave now.
The anniversary was yesterday; the future begins today, so let’s look to the future with the clear eyes of a citizenry that has lost its illusions. George W. Bush wants to make war on Iraq. He says he does not need Congress’s approval for this, but he’s asking for that approval anyway and says he wants it before Congress adjourns in October.
Why is that? Why does the president insist Congress vote yes or no on the Iraq question before the November election? The entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate is up for re-election. No politician wants to commit career suicide by voting against war days after the September 11th anniversary and weeks before the election.
For the past two months, Mr. Bush and Dick Cheney have done little else beside beat the war drum and raise money for Republican candidates. Mr. Bush has raised over $100 million this year, a new world’s record. Mr. Cheney’s fundraising peregrinations will bring him to Vermont next week; Republican donors will pay $5,000 each to sit with him for 15 minutes.
It has long been said of Americans that our political differences end at the water’s edge. Once a president girds his loins for war, he should leave politics behind, but George Bush is deliberately manipulating America’s profound grief for the political advantage of his party.
If Mr. Bush postpones the Iraq war question until after the election, if he lets Congress debate without a gun to its head, he’ll get better advice than if he rams the issue through in the next three weeks. If America is to go to war, if we are to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way, our leaders will need all the clear-headed advice they can get.
This week, French President Jacques Chirac publicly reminded Mr. Bush that France is America’s oldest ally. He vowed France will always be America’s friend, but as a friend, Mr. Chirac said Mr. Bush needs to proceed against Iraq with deliberation and consultation. He speaks for many in the European community. Last week, Nelson Mandela, perhaps the greatest statesman of our era, called Mr. Bush with much the same message. Mr. Bush refused to take the call.
The coming year may not be any easier than the one just past. Individual Americans will be called upon to perform acts of courage, whether we are the targets of irrational attacks, or if we are needed to stem our own nation’s irrationality.
Keep the faith.
(C) Mark Floegel, 2002