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Streetcar Line
Welcome Back, Scooter
GOP candidates need schooling in foreign affairs.
It may be time for Scooter Libby to make a splash in the race for president.
No, not as a candidate, of course. The role of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff should be as sage.
Some context is in order: For understandable reasons, most of the voter interest in the Republican nomination contest has focused on domestic issues. Indeed, a semi-isolationist spirit has taken hold among a large swath of the right-leaning electorate, expressing the attitude that we have so many problems of our own that the rest of the world should just take care of itself. This, however, is as foolish as if the denizens of a single city block refused to pay attention to deterioration of the neighborhood surrounding them, and of the city surrounding the neighborhood. A crime wave encompassing the block to the North and the block to the South, combined with blight one block westward and more blight one block eastward, cannot help to make life worse in the original block in question.
So too with world affairs. And, because a president has more room to operate freely on matters of defense and foreign policy than he has on any domestic issues, a presidential election should (but almost never will) revolve more around those issue areas than around anything else.
It is in this light that AEI, the Heritage Foundation, and CNN will host a debate on Nov. 15 devoted solely to defense and foreign policy. And as candidates prepare for that debate — as Herman Cain tries to get a clue on those subjects, as Mitt Romney tries to figure how to be isolationist and interventionist at the same time depending on where the wind is blowing, as Newt Gingrich tries to explain having been for intervention in Libya before he was against it, and as Ron Paul figures out how many ways he can blame America first — all the candidates would do well to bone up on the realities in the Middle East as described in a recent series of essays by Libby and his Hudson Institute colleague Hillel Fradkin.
On a subject that only Rick Santorum of all the candidates appears to know well, Libby and Fradkin make a compelling case that American interests may well be “fading in the new Middle East.” Their argument comes in an essay titled “Last Man Standing” in the September/October issue of World Affairs Journal.
“[T]oday, our adversaries have renewed hopes of expelling the United States from the Middle East,” they write. “They hope to show that now it is America that will not support friends, punish enemies, or achieve our aims. For the first time since World War II, they have some reason to expect success.” Turkey (about which, more in a moment) is no longer a firm ally. Egypt (also about which, more momentarily) is probably going Islamist. President Obama probably just undermined eight years of solid effort in Iraq. Iran stands virtually unchallenged as a regional power. Once-friendly Lebanon is now in the terrorist hands of Hezbollah — snatched while Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri exactly as Hariri visited a feckless Obama in the Oval Office. They quote Arab analyst Ghaith al-Omari saying — quite chillingly, for those of us who fear that American weakness spells massive dangers to American interests — that “it’s become fashionable to ‘dis’ the Americans. The prevalent mood now is to say that the United States is no longer relevant.”
If the United States isn’t relevant, also not relevant will be our interest in a steady oil supply, our trade routes through the Persian Gulf and the Suez Canal, and perhaps our life-and-death interest in keeping terrorists away from our shores. On that latter, Libby and Fradkin posit that “[n]ear-term counterterror cooperation will likely diminish in Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen and Libya, where leaders that had cooperated with the US against al-Qaeda have been weakened or replaced. While democracy may one day undermine terrorist in these countries, one or more of them may also end as repressive regimes that spur terror or leave new, ungoverned areas in which radicals thrive.”
In that light, the authors argued in the April issue of Commentary (in “Egypt’s Islamists: A Cautionary Tale”) that “the structures necessary [in Egypt] for true democracy are barely in evidence.” And to the extent that democracy does exist, it seems sure to be dominated by a group probably determined to use it only as a way-station toward less salubrious ends: the Muslim Brotherhood. As Libby and Fradkin note, the Brotherhood’s motto still remains: “Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Koran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.” When crowds gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in February to celebrate the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood, helping organize the events, invited as a main speaker Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a star commentator on Al Jazeera. Here’s what the authors report:
[Qaradawi] offered an impassioned “message to our brothers in Palestine.” “I have hope,” he declared, “that Almighty Allah, as I have been pleased with the victory in Egypt, that he will also please me with the conquest of the Al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem].” As the many millions who have heard Qaradawi know all too well, his words in Tahrir Square reflect his hope to participate in the extermination of the world’s Jews — Jews, not merely Israelis. He has applauded Hitler’s work and seen Allah’s hand in it. Indeed, he has expressed gratitude that the final work has been left to Muslims, a task, he claims, that goes to the roots of Islam.
In the same essay, the authors touched on Turkey as well: “The Turkish model is characterized by growing authoritarianism through intimidation, questionable detentions of opponents, and diversion of public assets to friendly hands. That may be more congenial than the ‘Iranian model,’ but that ought to be cold comfort, given the speed with which [Prime Minister Recep] Erdogan is effecting Islamist changes in what was the most secular country in the Muslim world.”
At least, report Libby and Fradkin, Erdogan himself has been bumbling somewhat. In a Sept. 30 essay called “Erdogan should mind his own glass house,” they detail Turkey’s growing opposition to Israel and how it has backed Syria and Iran in their “quarrels with the West.” But his attempts to throw his weight around may be backfiring. Iran and Syria have welcomed Turkey’s support, only to thumb their noses at Turkey’s own attempts to get them to modify other abusive behavior — so much so that, the authors report, “Turkey looked the fool.”
All of which would be condign punishment, and a salve to American concerns, except that it isn’t clear how Erdogan’s bumbling will affect the overall state of Middle Eastern affairs. Will it bring him back in line with the West — or will it lead him to “double-down” in his Islamist adventurism, to the detriment of either the United States or to regional stability, or both?
It is an increasingly dangerous world that Fradkin and Libby describe — and that’s just the Middle East. As world chess champion and democracy activist Garry Kasparov told the Heritage Foundation this week, the situation in Russia becomes worse by the day. “The systematic destruction of Russia’s nascent democracy by [Vladimir] Putin,” he said, “has increased its pace in recent years.”
So the Middle East boils, China grows in power, Russia flexes anti-Western muscles in what is again a dictatorship, and Europe’s economies stand on the brink. Such are the concerns that make it imperative that the Republican nominee be somebody who has a comprehensive understanding of foreign policy, a commitment to a strong defense, and the ability to explain to the American public the great stakes involved in our interaction with the rest of the world.
If nobody in the race is yet consulting with Libby and Fradkin on these issues, then wise and bracing insight is being seriously wasted.
About the Author
Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom. Follow him on Twitter @QuinHillyer.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (99) | Leave a comment
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Jack in Wi| 10.28.11 @ 7:20AM
Scooter is just what we need? He and the other Neocon liars have never been right about anything. He and his pals belong at the Hague on trial not back in public life
Ken (Old Texican)| 10.28.11 @ 7:57AM
Evidently, Wisconsin has a very poor school system. See above.
Clint| 10.28.11 @ 9:23AM
Scooter's brother Skippy was more mature.
Dai Alanye | 10.28.11 @ 1:16PM
The comments above go far toward proving that the terms "Paulbot" and "idiot" come from the same Proto Indo-European roots *ped-owis* meaning 'to tread with sheep.'
Mr Herman could do himself a big favor by hiring Libby as a foreign policy advisor. He would immediately be forced to defend the Scooter, a task he could perform quite readily, especially because...
1. Revealing Valerie Plame as a CIA employee was no crime. More than five years had passed since she worked undercover, Richard Armitage was the one who actually did the revealing, and Plame herself had told her boyfriend and future husband on their second date.
2. It's highly questionable that Libby lied to the FBI, since he had no need to. Further, the witnesses against him were journalists, and you know what I think about them.
3. As admitted by at least one juror, they found Libby guilty in lieu of being able to convict Dubya or Cheney.
4. Prosecutor Fitzgerald should have been prosecuted himself for not immediately closing the investigation when it became clear (on perhaps the second day) that there was no case.
By appointing and defending Libby Cain would receive tremendous publicity, and just might get some good advice on foreign policy as well.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 1:58PM
Dai:
Sorry for the delay in posting my agreement, I was too busy rolling on the flor. LOL
Clint| 10.28.11 @ 2:08PM
Dr.Ron Paul,
“Our military is already dangerously extended, and this administration
wants to expand our involvement. When will our bombing in Libya end? Is
President Obama seriously considering military action against Syria? We
are facing $2 trillion dollar deficits, and the American taxpayer cannot
afford any of it.
“Our military’s purpose is to defend our country, not to police the
Middle East.
“As the President prepares to send even more support to Egypt, we should
be reminded that it was our foreign aid that helped Mubarak retain power
to repress his people in the first place. Now we have to deal with the
consequences of those decisions, yet we keep repeating the same mistakes.
“I am not the only one who can see the absurdities of our foreign
policy. We give $3 billion to Israel and $12 billion to her enemies.
Most Americans know that makes no sense.
“We need to come to our senses, trade with our friends in the Middle
East (both Arab and Israeli), clean up our own economic mess so we set a
good example, and allow them to work out their own conflicts.”
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Mike Hawk| 10.28.11 @ 4:18PM
Ron Paul + Paleo-isolationist drivel = Paulbot
Clint| 10.28.11 @ 11:00PM
Read George Washington's Farewell Address, Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address, The Old Right And Get Back To Us.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:21PM
Thomas Jefferson was dealing with a completely different world in which Great Britain ruled the seas.
Oh, why do I bother with California and Wisconsin---airheads and cheeseheads.
Clint| 10.30.11 @ 8:00PM
The Wisdom Of Jefferson & Washington & The Old Right Are As Relevant Today, As Our Constitution, Israel firster ProgandaBoy,Tool Job.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 4:22PM
Has Libby found who forged the Nigerian Yellow Cake documents that duped his boss?
I mean, those guys thought Iraq was a threat, LOL.
Mike W| 10.28.11 @ 7:02PM
The Republicans need this clown's advice like we need 4 more years of George W. Bush. Why can't this lying jerk just go away. Go hang out with Cheney somewhere. Just don't pollute our foreign policy with your nonsense anymore.
martin j smith| 10.28.11 @ 7:55AM
I totally agree that foreign affairs and national security are lacking in the current discourse by our candidates. And, they do seem to need tutorials in these areas. This aspect troubles me in the snese that I have seen enough comments about current issues in the middle east or other parts such as China or Russia in any coherent manner that is. Whether Libby is the right tutor I do not know but surely their are experts around. How about John Bolton. he is very knowledgeable and can be very informative and others.
martin j smith| 10.28.11 @ 7:57AM
Oh and let us not forget that foreign affairs and national security are part of economic security in such areas as fossil fuel,raw materials such as rare metals, trade in general and currency exchange and investments. Its all integrated. Isolationism is unacceptable.
William R| 10.28.11 @ 8:21AM
You don't know what isolationism means.
Dixie Pixie| 10.28.11 @ 11:21AM
Martin...Interventionism made economic sense when America was an expanding power.
Then the need for acquiring ever larger markets and natural resources was an necessity to feed an expanding economic base.
However, America reached its apogee as a civilization in the period between the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Muslims denoted by 9/11.
No we are in a period of America's decline as a civilization because our industrial and economic base is contracting.
40% of all monetary income to the Federal Government is borrowed money and so future commitments can not be sustained as ever increasing interest payments consume future income as well as the nations economic base.
We can no longer afford our current overseas commitments and we can afford even less in the future as our economic base continues to contract even further.
Simply put Foreign Interventionism is no longer possible nor desirable.
The USA needs to devise some form of Isolationism to match our decreasing capacity.
If the USA does not then the USA risks the catastrophic political and economic collapse that befell the USSR.
It is up to the Conservatives to come up with a new form of Isolationism as the Socialists / Liberals are brain-dead reckless spendthrifts who caused the economic decline in the first place.
The RINOS and NeoCons are useless as they lack the vision, intellect or desire to devise a suitable Isolationism Foreign Policy.
Batter up Martin
TrueBlue| 10.28.11 @ 4:32PM
No need to intervene anyway. A foreign power starts threatening us and attacking our citizens, we send in a team to take them out, or drop a rather large bomb on their capital. Rinse and repeat until they get the idea that we're tired of screwing around. No more nation building or sending in a huge military force to fight their armies.
We have enough oil in various forms to supply ourselves for upwards of 30 years, cut off imports from non-allied nations and let OPEC shrivel and die. Cease sending any form of monetary aid to countries that constantly bad mouth us about interfering, if we are so annoying to them they obviously don't need our help. If people really want to help we can send over food, medicine, clothing, etc, and hand it out to people ourselves; stop handing the stuff over to governments that just sell the things off to enrich their ruling body.
Cold-hearted maybe, but helping people that don't like us and/or are threatening us only invites more of the same. Our enemies today do not have the Judeo-Christian mindset and moral structure that Western countries have. We can't keep treating them like they do.
axbucxdu| 10.28.11 @ 7:10PM
"...Rinse and repeat until they get the idea that we're tired of screwing around."
Nor would there be any fuss or muss of U.N resolutions.
Dixie Pixie| 10.29.11 @ 12:48AM
TrueBlue....Your energy facts are in error.
The USA has enough known energy reserves in known oil, gas and coal reserves to last 250 years.
Add to that the natural gas hydrates found on the deep offshore gas deposits beyond the outer continental shelf on the west and east coasts, the USA has energy reserves to last indefinitely.
Given the fact that the North American Continent has plenty of material reserves in all types there is no reason to search for metallic sources outside the Continental United States.
If the USA chooses to withdraw from all forms of international commitments the USA has plenty of material reserves to tell the rest of the world to go to hell.
A strict nationalist isolationist policy is both feasible, desirable and possible.
The USA only lacks only the political will and vision to implement it.
The Taft Republicans foresaw the political and economic disaster that the FDR / Woodrow Wilson foreign policies would produce.
In short, Pax America has failed and can no longer be supported.
We simply never had the resources or the intelligence to be the savior of all mankind.
It is past time that America withdraws to the North-American Continent and sees to the health and prosperity of its people.
Let the rest of the world descend into the self-imposed hell they justly deserve and want.
axbucxdu| 10.29.11 @ 9:04AM
Kudos, Dixie.
Dixie Pixie| 10.29.11 @ 11:34PM
Thanks for the support AX....
I do enjoy the feedback both good and bad.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:26PM
No, it's obvious that in the Middle East, only Israel is worth saving. In Europe, they are all going to die. In Australasia, Australia is worth saving. In the Americas, Canada is worth saving, and Mexico may need to be pulped.
Three countries to ally and work with is doable.
Dixie Pixie| 10.31.11 @ 12:56AM
Greetings O..T..
I am glad we are both on the same general bandwidth.
Australia is part of the Commonwealth group and thus a British problem as the Queen Of England is the formal Head of State of Australia.
Canada is a natural alliance partner along with the British Isles as a formal North American Alliance partner.
That leaves only Israel as a Security Alliance partner and the only potential trouble spot if America withdraws its security commitments to the North American Continent.
My point is the USA no longer has the ability or intelligence to be the worlds policeman.
Given our economic state, a nationalist isolationist foreign policy is the best possible option.
Worldwide Pax America is no longer possible, desirable or feasible.
We should stop trying before the inevitable foreign policy disaster occurs.
Merlin| 10.29.11 @ 9:15AM
TrueBlue, a cheaper and better solution. The UN objects? Let them do it from their new headquarters.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:24PM
We have another evil empire to fight---the Caliphate, which is growing. We cannot avoid it, and it must be destroyed. Nation building is useless, but nation crushing may need to be done.
Unlike the UK, we have no one to hand off our empire to.
Dixie Pixie| 10.31.11 @ 1:23AM
Greetings again O..T..
I take it you are going with the Huntington's “Clash of Civilizations” format.
If so, the natural pan-national blocks for supplanting Pax America against the upcoming Muslim Caliphate are ::::
The Latin America block nations
The EU block nations
The African block nations
Russia
China
India
The Pan-Asian nations including Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The best of the bunch for America would be the EU block nations followed by the Latin America block nations, but I don't see that happening.
The PDF file of “The Clash Of Civilizations” is below ::::
http://www.polsci.wvu.edu/facu.....mmer93.pdf
William R| 10.28.11 @ 8:19AM
Hillyer needs schooling in conservatism because rest assured Quin, you aren't a conservative. A NeoCon, yes!!!
We need to look no further than Ronald Reagan!!
Reagan's Wisdom on the Middle East. LEAVE!!
http://orangepunch.ocregister......leave/619/
Our invasion and occupation of Iraq has done nothing but destabilize the entire region. NeoCons like Libby and Hillyer are a menace and need to be called out.
cuban pete| 10.28.11 @ 3:47PM
You may disagree with Libby and he may need to have been "called out" but he should not have gone to jail.
Margie| 10.28.11 @ 7:14PM
Paul-bots are not conservatives. They're Liberal -Terriors constantly nipping at your ankles.
Clint| 10.28.11 @ 11:10PM
Dr.Ron Paul,
"While President Obama’s demand that Israel
make hard concessions in her border conflicts may very well be in her
long-term interest, only Israel can make that determination on her own,
without pressure from the United States or coercion by the United
Nations.
“Unlike this President, I do not believe it is our place to dictate how
Israel runs her affairs. There can only be peace in the region if those
sides work out their differences among one another. We should respect
Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate her policy from Washington.
“The President also defended his unconstitutional intervention in Libya,
authorized not by the United States Congress but by the United Nations,
and announced new plans to pressure Syria and force the leader of that
country to step down."
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:26PM
And then you talk about refusing to trade with Israel if she defends herself, Clint. Make up your mind.
Clint| 10.30.11 @ 8:11PM
You're A Complete Asshole, Screwball Israel Firster PropagandaBoy, Tool Job.
I Wrote About The Checkpoint Sourcefire Deal,Where C.F.I.U.S. Gave Them The Same Treatment,As Dubai Ports Got.
I Wrote About Illegal Israeli Sales Of U.S. Weapons Technology To The Red Chinese,Jeopardizing Our Allies Taiwan & Japan.
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
race_to_the_bottom| 10.28.11 @ 9:28AM
The US, under both Democrats and Republicans, conducts a very stupid and short sighted and completely militarized foreign policy. It claims to have "interests" and "adversaries" literally everywhere. It dominates every ocean with a dozen aircraft carrier battle groups. It has convinced itself that, like all empires before it, that if it does not direct the affairs of the world, that the world will go to hell in a hand basket. It is all nonsense, of course, and the world does not agree. What is really going to hell is the US itself, as its economy becomes hollowed out and it spends a trillion a year on security spending and sinks under a mountain of debt, completely due to such spending. Meanwhile, China has a multi-decade plan which involves quiet diplomacy, strengthening ties of all kinds with almost everyone, including Israel, which complains the US blocks its export of military goods to China. China becomes stronger while the US becomes weaker economically and politically even as its military might is shown to be more of a liability than an asset. And no matter who is president after the next election, it will not matter. The National Security State does not change much with administrations. This is the one fact you can take to the bank. Another is that the bankrupt policy based on the militarization of foreign policy will continue to fail until the people understand it and demand change.
Zbigniew Mazurak| 10.28.11 @ 12:37PM
Your entire screed is garbage, but the most ridiculous part of it is your claim that the US spends $1 trillion a year on "security". It ain't true. Not even close.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:28PM
Well, Zbig, I am fairly open to your ideas, as they seem to make sense usually (although you will eventually become more of a pro-Israel hawk as you get kicked in the nads negotiating with Arabs.).
Besides, you piss Clint off. This is good. Have a great week!
Stefan Stackhouse| 10.28.11 @ 9:30AM
Oh, sure. They all must be taught how to blow the cover and destroy the careers of our intelligence operatives. That is the one aspect of foreign affairs that is absolutely essential, right?
chuck| 10.29.11 @ 8:39AM
Wow, you are ignorant.
Richard Armitage was the perp of what you are accusing Libbey.
Twit
Mike Hawk| 10.29.11 @ 9:29AM
Blow whose cover?? The only cover the desk jockey Plame had was on the cover of Vogue with that lying husband of hers.
John| 10.28.11 @ 9:51AM
Hmm...
"This, however, is as foolish as if the denizens of a single city block refused to pay attention to deterioration of the neighborhood surrounding them, and of the city surrounding the neighborhood. A crime wave encompassing the block to the North and the block to the South, combined with blight one block westward and more blight one block eastward, cannot help to make life worse in the original block in question."
It's more like you live in Wichita and there are crime waves in Philadelphia, Fargo, Sacramento and Houston. Do you need to be concerned? Perhaps, but it is no where near as important as what is happening in Wichita.
Stop with the frickin -isms!
John786| 10.28.11 @ 10:15AM
Scooter Libby, Iraq . The greatest blunder since the founder if the republic. Have you not seen the movie. Democracy and the ME. So..so inconvienient. That's the problem with democracy they vote so inconveniently. Let's hope the magic kingdom doesn't get a whif of this democratic malarky.
W| 10.28.11 @ 5:17PM
John,
WW1 was a greater blunder.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 6:09PM
Heck W:
The problems we are still dealing with 100 years later stem from the failed settlement of WWI. Indo-China, Kurdistan, Trans-Jordan, no matter where one turns attention to the map one finds errors made at Versailles.
W| 10.28.11 @ 6:18PM
Al Adab,
Many here say Obama or Carter or Clinton(Bill,not Hillary) were the worst president. I believe it is Woodrow Wilson. He tricked us into a totally unnecessary war. We had no national interest. It was strictly another European war that did not concern us.
In addition to the issues you stated, we got the income tax also. And Wilson was a racist yet is honored by the Democrats.
axbucxdu| 10.28.11 @ 7:14PM
Ahem. Let's not forget to plug the Wilson approved Fed.
Al Adab| 10.29.11 @ 11:31AM
Lets not forget to mention direct election of Senators and votes for women, if I may be tongue in cheek about part of that. Ahhh, the Progressive era.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:30PM
W,
sorry, it is still Buchanan, James. Of the 20th Century Presidents, it is Carter. Of the Presidents in the last 100 years, it is Obama.
Quite frankly, like Kucinich and Paul, he hates this country.
Clint| 10.30.11 @ 8:24PM
You're An Israel Firster Neo-Chickenhawk Traitor Bastard Liar,Tool Job.
W| 10.31.11 @ 11:03AM
Occam
You can make a compelling case also for LBJ.Buchanan was weak, but the Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case tied the federal govenment's hand in dealing with slavery in a peaceful manner. They ruled a slave was personal property. Obama is awful as was Carter. Both one term presidents. But it is hard to top WW1, the income tax, and segregation thanks to Woodrow.
The worst presidents are all Dems: Wilson, Obama, Carter, and LBJ.
Bob K.| 10.28.11 @ 10:56AM
Why not? He can always avail himself of the wise advise of former President George W. Bush, if they still are speaking to each other.
And since he comes from an investment banking family his economic advise will be invaluable when it comes to how foreign policy matters should be decided.
Not to mention that his experience behind bars will come in handy when it finally becomes necessary to settle the Gitmo issue.
A real renaissance man indeed!
Peter Yankov| 10.28.11 @ 11:07AM
Dopes on parade here so far today.
axbucxdu| 10.29.11 @ 9:06AM
Welcome, fellow dope.
Anthony| 10.28.11 @ 11:10AM
I just happened to read that chapter in V.P Cheney's memoir about the Libby debacle last night.
I always wondered why Armitage and General Powell left Scooter Libby to twist in the wind as they did. A more deplorable, dispicable, and dishonest political hit job by two political hacks, even Washington hasn't seen in decades. Apparently, according to Mr. Cheney, it was informaton about WMD that Pres. Bush asked Libby and another staffer to put together.
Although Powell and Armitage ignored the briefing and did their own "due diligence" from Tenent, as both were in total rebellion against Pres. Bush by that time, they nonetheless chose to take their anger out on Libby over Powell's presentation to the U.N. about WMD.
Pres. Bush should have pardoned Mr. Libby over perhaps the worst political trial in America's history, but did not. I gave my small donation to Mr. Libby's defense fund rather than Mr. Bush's library. It was the least I could do.
Libby served the Bush administration and America with distinction and honor, and in return, was stabbed in the back and allowed to take the political hit that Washington so loves.
Libby has every right to stay out of politics and policy and keep his wealth of knowledge to himself, for as he well knows, "no good deed goes unpunished".
Thank you Scooter for your service, that many ordinary Americans appreciated, unlike the political whores of Washington who did you dirty.
Mike Hawk| 10.28.11 @ 11:41AM
One of Bush 43's weaknesses was a lack of will to stand up for his staff and defend his policies and actions. He left that to others and expected the public to see through the Liberal vitriol and venom. It didn;t work.
W| 10.28.11 @ 1:31PM
I agree. Bush should have pardoned Libby. Fitzgerald abused his power by prosecuting Libby when he knew Armitage was the leaker, and it was not secret Plame worked for the CIA. She was a desk paper shuffler of no consequence.
Bush weak in defending his staff, and weak in defending himself and his policies. He was worse than a pinata. Cheney is out there now defending the administration while Bush is silent and attending baseball games.
Anthony| 10.28.11 @ 2:36PM
I concur with both you and Mike Hawk. I'll add something that I have said here at TAS in the past; Bush not defending himself, his policies, or his people was a major flaw in Bush's character.
However, what Bush and his smarter by half brain trust never understood was, by not defending the above, Bush was, by extension, not defending his base, who were the only ones screaming for Bush to stand up to the left.
Bush's noblesse obliege, or whatever the hell his hang up was, left us all hanging because we took heat for defending a guy who would not defend himself.
This is the great Bush mystery of all time.
Mike Hawk| 10.28.11 @ 4:14PM
The couple of times W spioke out, the base was energized immediately, problem was that was all and the deflation was as quick.He also should have vetoed a lot of stuff. McQueeg / Feingold comes to mind.
Mike W| 10.28.11 @ 7:05PM
Bush's biggest weakness was trusting people like Libby, Cheney, Feith and on and on. He simply did not have the intellectual ability to formulate his own rational opinions on Iraq after 9/11. Instead he listened to people with their own agenda and that agenda did not conincide with the best interest of the American people.
narciso| 10.28.11 @ 11:16AM
Well as it turns out both armitage and Powell were tied up with Caspian matters, like the Baku chamber of commerce, also Armitage, in relation
to this story, is part of an interesting lobby:
http://www.the-atc.org/
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 11:20AM
In the matter of foreign affairs the desireable is not always the possible. It takes a large measure of discernment to know the difference. We may, for example, desire representative government in Iraq, yet the reality of history and culture (including Islam) works against it. To invest years and American treasure and lives in a chimeric quest at nation building is neither wise nor even likely to produce the hoped for result. Nations and cultures will find their own way. Our hopes for the world must sadly be tempered with an understanding of the forces arrayed against those dreams.
W| 10.28.11 @ 1:35PM
Al Adab,
We should have left Iraq after Hussein was captured. If our goal was nation building we did a lousy job since Iraq is kicking us out. How is that for gratitude.
If we want to nation build then do it like we did it in Japan. Draft a constitution and impose it.
We have 4700 americans killed, 32,000 wounded, and 800 billion spent, and they kick us out.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 2:04PM
W:
Correct analysis. In all of history only once have the conquerors suceeded in creating a functioning nation; Japan under MacArthur. In that instance as well, the monarchy was left intact albeit no longer as autocratic. The Japanese willingness to adopt and adapt western concepts to themselves served them well.
The Romans only kept the Pax through force of arms. They governed, but never created, nations. The Hellenistic kingdoms that followed Alexander only survived a couple hundre years. The attempts to create others in our image is a false hope.
It is obvious that you and I need to meet up one of these days. We should write a how to and how not to book.
W| 10.28.11 @ 2:34PM
Let me know when and where. The history of the Roman empire should be mandatory reading in schools and our state/defense depts. I am now reading History of Christianity, Zonderan Press, which details the history of the Roman/Byzantium empire with Christianity, and the barbarians. Very good.
TrueBlue| 10.28.11 @ 4:38PM
History presents facts, and we can't have our kids learning facts. Then they wouldn't rely on emotion so much, which is a requirement in order to achieve the Liberal Utopia.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 4:38PM
W:
Disclaimer, "Any resemblance between the Roman republic and the Uniited States is simply historical."
W| 10.28.11 @ 5:15PM
Al Adab,
What is really galling about our Iraq exit is that for the past two years, as part of the negotiations to stay in Iraq, we have been kissing Iraq's ass to "negotiate amnesty" for our military so they do not get prosecuted. What? Prosecuted for liberating them.
At least Truman and Eisenhower did not kiss the Germans/Japanese ass after WW11. We won, we beat them, and we did real nation building. We imposed democracy they are doing well. Now we are social workers trying to negotiate.
I am not surprised Obama failed to negotiate an agreement about amnesty. He does not care. He wanted to prosecute the CIA for the interrogations that upset the terrorrists, and he wanted to prosecute the lawyers who advised the CIA.
Oh well, things can only improve.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:32PM
Al,
what about West Germany?
But your point is an excellent one. Cheers!
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:31PM
W: we drafted a constitution and imposed it after firebombing the place and dropping two nukes.
That would be an excellent policy to follow in Iran.
Brilliant stuff you write. Much better than the original W.
W| 10.31.11 @ 11:07AM
Thanks, Occam. Thinking of changing my name to avoid confusion, what do you think?
I assume you will join Al Adab, Nick,RCV, the G-mn, and others in writing the book proposed by Al.
I always read and enjoy your comments.
OregonBuzz| 10.28.11 @ 11:50AM
I agree that the GOP candidates need schooling in foreign affairs. All presidents, past and present, need such guidance. (The current occupant of the White House is no exception.) If I were a candidate I believe I would seek out John Bolton for a start.
In this present state of world affairs where the U.S. has abandoned and humiliated its true allies and embraced the evil doers, such schooling is of paramount importance.
In particular the whole Department of State needs gutting and rebuilding. Don't hold your breath.
OregonBuzz| 10.28.11 @ 11:51AM
I agree that the GOP candidates need schooling in foreign affairs. All presidents, past and present, need such guidance. (The current occupant of the White House is no exception.) If I were a candidate I believe I would seek out John Bolton for a start.
In this present state of world affairs where the U.S. has abandoned and humiliated its true allies and embraced the evil doers, such schooling is of paramount importance.
In particular the whole Department of State needs gutting and rebuilding. Don't hold your breath.
Havoc| 10.28.11 @ 12:07PM
'Islamist'? Really? Just how does an Islamist differ from a Muslim? I don't believe that I know any Muslims who call themselves Islamists ... the only people I know who speak of Islamists and Islamism are those who cannot face the fact that the problem is Islam, itself.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 2:09PM
Havoc:
As you correctly note the term Islamist is used only by those attempting to maintain a distinction without a difference. Islam, by its nature, claims control over the temporal, religious and military life of its adherents. There is no concept of legitimacy seperate from Islam. It demands control of the daily life rhythms of the society and ostracizes those who are not "submitted" to its authority. There are no citizens in Islamic states only those inside or outside the Dar-al-Islam, the house of Islam.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 6:18PM
Afterthought:
Just reading through the current issue of Smithsonian magazine. Good story about the Coptic Christians in Egypt and their plight under newly emboldened Islam.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:33PM
Correct, Mr. H.
Christopher Manion| 10.28.11 @ 1:24PM
"Socrates understood (what modern political reformers and revolutionaries seem unable to understand) that a reform cannot be achieved by a well-intentioned leader who recruits his followers from the very people whose moral confusion is the cause of the disorder."
Eric Voegelin, Plato and Aristotle, P. 5.
In other words, don't hire the failed retreads.
Thank you for mentioning Ron Paul, who is closer to Barry Goldwater -- the hero of conservatives (including, as I recall, the author's father) before Woodstock and 9-11 "changed everything."
viz.:
The turn will come when we entrust the conduct of our affairs to the men who understand that their first duty as public officials is to divest themselves of the power that they have been given. It will come when Americans, in hundreds of communities throughout the nation, decide to put the man in office who is pledged to enforce the Constitution and restore the Republic. Who will proclaim in a campaign speech: “I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel the old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is “needed” before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents’ “interests,” I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can.”
Barry Goldwater, The Conscience of a Conservative, 1960: Victor Publishing Company, Shepherdsville, Ky., p. 17.
Does this sound like the Seven Dwarfs -- or Ron Paul?
But thanks nonetheless for spelling his name right.
Al Adab| 10.28.11 @ 2:14PM
Christopher:
Sadly it takes one set of skills to govern and quite another to camapign and win. The correct political theory and philosophy may make a man valuable, Newt for example, but does not make him a viable candidate. Goldwater had both sets of skills. He captured the GOP nomination while being opposed by the Rockefeller/Romney wing of the party. It was that nomination and that campaign which gave birth to the Conservative Movement and made him the most significant losing candidate of the 20th century. Ever since GOP candidates have claimed the Conservative mantel, but how many truely were?
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:34PM
Barry wanted to win against the Commies. The Islamists are the new Commies. Herman Cain wants to WIN. So does Bachmann and Santorum.
Chris| 10.28.11 @ 2:44PM
I have visions of Israeli colored Glass if the Jihadist get frogy. I don't think Frogs like Mushrooms, but I digress.
10,oo0 degrees in a nanosecond sounds well done to me, notwithstanding the half-baked loon in the Oval Office who couldn't make it in the Projects Of Chicago's CHA.
Occam's Tool| 10.30.11 @ 6:35PM
Yes, the Israelis have excellent glassblowers, and the sand in Teheran would fuse very well.
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 4:21PM
Does Scooter have an update on the investigation into who forged the Nigerian Uranium documents?
Mike Hawk| 10.28.11 @ 8:34PM
The Clintons would know.
C Bowen | 10.29.11 @ 5:45PM
I am not sure that makes any sense. It's pretty clear it had to be Bush people who did an end run around the CIA to include the lines in the State of the Union.
A foreign or internal network committed a crime for the purpose of fomenting war--quite a crime as it's been known to carry the death penalty.
Who do you think was involved?
Dick Nome| 10.29.11 @ 8:24PM
I think it was a Ferengi plot to disrupt Iraqi negotiations with the Klingons. The Bush administration uncovered it by accident and Democrats got pissed because they were looking for Ferengi campaign donors.
C Bowen | 10.29.11 @ 10:13PM
I understand you don't care about treason, I asked who you thought was involved in the end run around CIA.
Seriously, if you thought Iraq was a threat and haven't committed suicide already, we have learned volumes about the nature of the beast.
Dick Nome| 10.30.11 @ 2:20PM
You proably think 9/11 was an inside job. Am I right??
C Bowen | 10.30.11 @ 7:38PM
9/11 was the result of gross incompetence and dishonorable government--not one suicide or resignation as a result of such a failure?
You probably thought Iraq was a threat (LOL!) and didn't stop posting on the Internet, let alone something more dramatic--says all we need to know about your honor.
W| 10.28.11 @ 4:34PM
What is your evidence it was a forgery?
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 5:18PM
If you are unfamiliar with the case, I suggest google, but the documents were debunked within hours of release.
A quick google produced this story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11.....italy.html
It's well known that Michael Ledeen (who was connected to the P2 Lodge scandals) who has friends in Iran was active in Italy at the time, though he denies involvement.
Raimondo is pretty good on the topic, and if nothingelse, his articles have links:
http://original.antiwar.com/ju.....ry-solved/
W| 10.28.11 @ 5:42PM
Thanks, the article was in 2005. What is the evidence Libby or others knew before Iraq Invasion that they were forgeries
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 5:57PM
Obviously, I don't think Libby or the Permanent Government (or Ruling Class scribes like the author here) cares about who forged the documents--like OJ's search for the real killers.
The documents were withheld from CIA until after the 03 State of the Union Address--this sort of breach required inside help. When the documents were released, after State of the Union, they were more or less, laughed at with wrong names and so forth--they were somewhat crude is the point. A serious investigation, if one was wanted, would have solved it quick. That is where the problem of Wilson likely came in.
The Administration was clearly more concerned about Wilson, then who forged the documents--what does that suggest?
W| 10.28.11 @ 6:12PM
Who withheld the documents prior to the 03 Adress?
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 6:24PM
That is the question, right? And if the system was functioning, a case for Justice Department or FBI, right? They seemed to have passed, which says what about a functioning system?
I would suggest the Office of Special Plans, connected to the Pentagon (with Doug Feith and the spy, Larry Franklin) but generally speaking, intelligence that gets used by the President has a chain of approval, that was clearly orchestrated around.
When someone suggests a secret or separate government, this is the meaning. There are laws and legal procedures that were worked around, thus the potential that a crime occurred should have triggered an investigation with a result.
President Bush could have been spared, by the systems in place, such a blunder of siting the documents, but...maybe the administration didn't really care that they were forgeries?
C Bowen | 10.28.11 @ 5:27PM
Follow up question, will Libby have a follow up novel to his pornographic/bestiality book, The Apprentice?
Dick Nome| 10.30.11 @ 3:06PM
You are full of questions, but no answers. Maybe you are full of BS.
C Bowen | 10.30.11 @ 7:39PM
Are you a fan of Libby's fiction? Bet you also loved Dick Cheney's wife's lesbian novel "Sisters."
Click over to google and look up The Apprentice by Libby and Sisters by Lynne Cheney for yourself.
Nonnie| 10.28.11 @ 6:59PM
What...Erdogan? Some exotic green vegetable?
POST American| 10.28.11 @ 11:49PM
---------Tick ----Tick -----Tick ----Tick
------------HUAC meets NUREMBERG 2012--------
-----------------Tick ----Tick -----Tick -----Tick!
jakeq| 10.30.11 @ 11:44AM
America is entering an inflection point of profound change.
The establishment - obsolete government model, politicians, over taxation, over regulation, over regulation and an overflow of talking heads in the broadcast media peddling useless information - polls, data, and pontification - is completely disconnected from the people.
Fire the establishment.
Hire Herman Cain for hope, reform, and prosperity
nathan| 10.31.11 @ 10:50AM
You all have by now have seen the story about us turning over detainees in Kabul to the Afghans where they horribly tortured. One detainee called it "hell". Notice that in many cases these were "alleged" bad guys who in many cases were guilty of nothing. In the United States when you pay someone to kill someone else you get charged with murder one even if you don't pull the trigger yourself. The same here. When we have people in our custody and turn them over to the Afghans knowing full well that they are going to be horribly tortured, legally it's the same as if our own people did it.
So we need someone from the Cheney camp who knew all about stuff like this, agreed to this, and supported it. Who was fine with Americans at high levels violating international agreements, US law, and the Constitution itself.
Besides the fact that any and all Americans involved in this and other human rights abuses like this need to at the least be fired and stripped of their pensions if not put in jail if their complicity can be proven (anyone hear of illegal orders?), I think the last thing we need is four more years of the Bush/Cheney administration on any level, starting with horribly foreign policy blunders to "compassionate conservatism" that gave us no child left behind and the cheating scandals that came with it to TARP, to the medicare drug benefit that paved the way for Obamacare. Conservatives once and for all need to get over this love affair they have with Bush/Cheney. In their own way they were as bad or worse than Obama at all levels.