Nadine,
Part of the job of wartime leadership is winning the propaganda war. Right now, Saddam is winning that particular battle. The opposition does not need a good argument against war, raising doubt is enough.
Bush needs to counter with an emotional, moving and inspiring case for the war. He needs to frame it in terms of the highest American ideals, he needs to show that the threat is real and relevant, he also needs to separate the 'French values' from 'American values' (in more diplomatic language).
One of the jobs of a leader is managing the confidence of the people they lead. Right now, half-truths and false arguments are gaining momentum because the country's confidence is waning. The intellectual appeal of the Rice/Wolfowitz argument is not nearly enough. I saw Tom Daschle on TV say that "we should give the inspectors more time to find WMDs". Daschle knows better but he has the confidence to make political hay right now. He needs to be put into a box where he cannot make these cheap shots.
"We cannot stand by and allow tyranny torture it's own people, undermine the peace of the entire region and threatened the security of America. If there others with different priorities, we wish them well, but America will not abandon the possibility of peace of the dream of democracy - not now, not ever. We will fight on the dunes, on the gulf, we will never tire and we will never surrender"
It is time to reclaim the high ground.
Paul |
