Sunday, August 28, 2005

Fineman Demands to See Democrat's Plan

Writing in this week's edition of Newsweek, Howard Fineman draws historical comparisons between the war in Iraq and Vietnam and then blames the whole mess on the failure of Democrats to present an alternative.

"Is Iraq "another Vietnam"? By that I assume he means a brutal, costly and pointless war that tears America—and the presidency of a Texan who loves his ranch—to pieces. The answer to the Hagelian[as in Senator Chuck Hagel] question: Iraq is Vietnam, but only sort of..........."

Fineman's equivocations leaves little for the reader to gain much of a foothold.

Ho Chi Minh wasn't going to invade the United States:
"Cold-blooded as the enemy was in Vietnam, he had no designs on global domination, and had no interest in bringing the war in Southeast Asia to American shores."

But, Osama bin Laden is coming for our souls:
"[Osama] in the most generous interpretation, wants to restore the Arab Caliphate in the Muslim world, and then to give the West a chance to accept Islam willingly—or face the annihilation due all infidels."

Fineman dances on both sides of each issue he bring forward and then he end with an attack on Democrats for not having a plan for what to do in Iraq and in the war on terrorism.

What the hell difference would it make if the Democrats had the perfect plan? What if Democrats put forward a plan tomorrow that would extricate American troops from Iraq with minimal casualties, while leaving a stable government behind? What if Democrats presented a plan tomorrow that would dedicate U.S. and allied soldier, police and diplomats in a concerted attack on not only Islamic terrorists, but the root causes that feed so many willing recruits into their arms?

We all know what would happen if Democrats put those plans forward..... George Bush would dismiss them out of hand and "stay the course", whatever the hell that is.