Deconstructing The Peace-At-Any-Price Crowd...

A Case For More U.S. Exceptionalism: Let's Roll!
by The Iconoclast

April 24, 2002

Now that Secretary of State Colin Powell (right) has returned from his disastrous "peace" mission to the Middle East, perhaps it's time for the Bush administration to get back to Bush basics and return to its previously-successful America-first, "go-it-alone-if-necessary" foreign policy.

Based on various "insider" news reports, it appears that President George W. Bush's instinctive response in these matters has always been to go after the "evil" guys, whoever they are and wherever they are, regardless of what America's erstwhile European and Arab "allies" think. However, lately the Euro-obsessed Mr. Powell, and the arabist-loving bureaucratic dandies in the U.S. state department, have prevailed upon the president to approach the problem from a more "sophisticated" perspective (meaning, reassessing matters of principle through the corrupting prism of moral relativism). Thanks to the added intervention of Tony Blair (trying to shore up his crumbling support in Britain's anti-war Labour Party), they apparently finally convinced Dubyah that the United States was in immediate danger of alienating such loyal allies (please stifle your laughter) as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany and France.

In fact, they appear to have been so successful that the U.S. President temporarily took leave of his senses, turned against Israel in a much-publicized media appearance, and signed onto a revolving-door, Clinton-type "peace process". As a result, Mr. Powell was soon dispatched to the Middle East to shmooze and talk (and talk and talk) in a typical Euro-style peacemaking exercise intended to appear balanced and open, but geared to appeasing Yasser Arafat, Palestinian terrorists, Arab allies, and peace-loving editorial writers everywhere (in other words, to sell out Israel wherever possible without appearing to do so).

Of course, Mr. Powell accomplished absolutely nothing on his mission impossible. The American president compromised his principles and his reputation by following Mr. Powell's suggestions. And rather than appeasing the Palestinians, Arab dictators, or the America-hating journalistic fifth column in the U.S. and Europe, Mr. Bush's sudden 180-degree policy turn only precipitated even more vociferous criticisms and demands from these quarters.

President George W. Bush (R-TX) (FOX) Surely, by now, Mr. Bush (left) realizes he was snookered by the "peace-at-any-price-and-without-any-principles" crowd. After all, as a result of the president's attempt to win their approval, and appear more moderate, conciliatory and sensitive to Palestinian "suffering", he instead looked increasingly weak, spineless and confused. His foreign policy is now in tatters. And his reputation as a man of iron principle has been compromised, in the eyes of both friends and enemies.

Hopefully, this unsavory foreign-policy mishap has been a wake-up call for Dubyah and his closest advisers. For what the world, and the cause of international justice, really needs now is more of last autumn's American "exceptionalism" as practised by George W. Bush, even if was scornfully criticized by the Continent's elite.

In case you're not familiar with the oft-used putdown phrase of "American exceptionalism", it's most usually unleashed by leftist, anti-American elites in Europe and Canada. And it revolves around the familiar accusation that past Bush foreign policy has focused almost exclusively on American interests and values, without thought to the interests or perspectives of other nations.

American exceptionalism, then, is viewed in these circles as a destructive American sense of imperial destiny that legitimizes an America-first and America-only approach to world events. And an approach that constantly uses American might in the service of what it is seen as a narrow, over-moralistic and self-serving American perspective.

"What a terrible man that George W. Bush is," bray the left-leaning sheep of London, Paris, Milan, Brussels, Bonn and yes Ottawa in putting down his past foreign policy deeds in Afghanistan and the world. "Only a moron like the Shrub," they charge "could believe it's possible to make such simplistic distinctions between good and evil, without first sorting out the 'gray areas' in such complex matters as these."

Oh yes indeed. These scathing rebukes have emanated endlessly since 9/11, and from the same sophisticated historical locales which resounded with choruses of hearty approval for the bold efforts of that diplomatic genius, Neville Chamberlain, when he established "peace in our time" in the 1930's, by negotiating with and showing peaceable good intentions in regard to that quirky but harmless bloke, Adolph Hitler. And yes, these outspoken Bush haters are the diplomatic and intellectual heirs of that same spineless know-it-all lot that appeased, rationalized and excused the murderous excesses of Joseph Stalin and his successors in a frantic effort to avoid what they considered would be the inevitable world conflagration that would occur if the Soviet tyranny was confronted head on.

Indeed, these are the same wise men of Europe and Ottawa who vociferously criticized, ridiculed and obstructed the dean of American exceptionalism, Ronald Reagan, when he dared to denounce and confront the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union -- even though not a bomb was dropped or a missile fired in response to American president's initiatives. Rather, to the surprise of these timid souls, the Soviet house of cards simply folded with hardly a peep, and the world was a better place for it (and freeer too).

Well, now it's time for George W. Bush to again don the mantle of his bold and esteemed Republican predecessor, as he did so courageously in the aftermath of the events of 9/11. And this time he must ignore his critics and hold his course, remembering that the Gipper was also dismissed by the elites of not only London, Paris, Milan, Brussels, Bonn and Ottawa, but also New York, L.A. and Washington, as also being simplistic, stupid and dumb.

This time, he must pursue the current cause of American exceptionalism to its logical end. He must not give in.

Let the elites bray at George W. Bush's naivete and stupidity again, just as they once similarly criticized and ridiculed Ronald Reagan. However, it's time for George W. to be George W. again.

If there are to be no more 9/11's in NewYork City and Washington D.C, or next time in L.A., San Francisco, Minneapolis or Seattle, then it's time for Dubya to once again don the proud (but universally-disparaged) mantle of the "American cowboy". And despite mounting world criticism of such a role in world affairs, he must again dedicate the United States to not only pursuing and bringing to justice the forces of terrorist darkness, but also those who host, finance and/or encourage this amoral challenge to contemporary civilization.

Forget the advice of the timid and timorous in the state department, George W. Please.

Ignore the blandishments of an increasingly isolated and insecure Tony Blair.

And simply block out the vocal admonitions of the left-leaning world media who wish you nothing but ill anyways.

After all, it was enlightened, peace-loving folks just like these on the continent who were the "enablers" of the Stalinist death camps of Siberia, the ovens of the holocaust, and the recent ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.

Now it's time to ignore them all, Dubyah. And follow your instincts, no matter what your supposed "intellectual betters" tell you.

You've got it right. They've got it wrong. That's all that counts.

Let's win this one for the Gipper, Mr. President. Let's roll! ***

Photo of Secretary of State Colin Powell courtesy of the Associated Press
Photo of President George W. Bush (R-TX) courtesy of FOX NEWS