Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Victor Davis Hanson: Here We Go Again (A Rerun of 1979-1980?)
National Review Online ^ | 9/24/2010 | VICTOR DAVIS HANSON

Posted on 09/24/2010 3:16:37 PM PDT by mojito

Lost amid the campaign politicking are several growing crises that all, to one degree or another, reflect the general global appraisal that the United States has abdicated its traditional role, either on the grounds of fiscal erosion or self-doubt about our moral authority to pass judgment on aggressors.

In that void, China and Japan have been squaring off over a maritime territorial dispute, North and South Korea are seeing rising tensions, Lebanon is unwinding, Iran is daring the world to stop its proliferation, and, in the expectation of a post-American Afghanistan, regional powers are designing their own spheres of control there. In all these cases — and others as well — there is a general sense that the U.S. will not come strongly to the side of an ally, nor come out strongly against the side of an enemy.

In an analogous sense, we have now completed our own version of 1977–78, with updated Carteresque damnations of past policies, loud lectures on past American sins, estrangement from Europe and Israel, and self-righteousness about our evolution beyond simplistic views of good and evil. All that is left now is the denouement: another 1979–80, when the world sized us up and concluded that there would be few repercussions from regional “adjustments,” and wars by the Soviet Union, China, and Communists in Central America, hostage-taking, embassy-storming, and all the rest paralyzed a sanctimonious president.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: china; iran; lebanon; vdh
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last
Crazy 8 Ball reads: Not looking good.
1 posted on 09/24/2010 3:16:41 PM PDT by mojito
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mojito
The world is always just one spark away from exploding. I had many disappointments with the Bush family but on this point they did well with the master, " Sir Richard Cheney" . Sadly the Bush/Rove Rino inability to deal with the traitors within gave rise to the current crop of socialists and their boy leader.
2 posted on 09/24/2010 3:30:23 PM PDT by liberty or death
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mojito
This is looking a lot like the Carter years. We can only hope we can follow up this Carter-like era with another Reagan.
3 posted on 09/24/2010 3:31:04 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mojito
This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours.

The immortal words of Jimmy Carter on the Voyager spacecraft gold record.

4 posted on 09/24/2010 3:38:27 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mojito

bump for later read


5 posted on 09/24/2010 3:43:17 PM PDT by BOBTHENAILER (EPA will rule your life)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
We can only hope we can follow up this Carter-like era with another Reagan.

Who may, in fact, be a Reaganette.

6 posted on 09/24/2010 3:50:46 PM PDT by workerbee (FAIL, BABY, FAIL!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Snickering Hound

I’m sure that Jimmy made sure to include a record player and extra batteries in case intelligent life found the record 10,000 years from now.


7 posted on 09/24/2010 3:51:52 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll protect your rights?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: workerbee

Yup. See my “about” page.


8 posted on 09/24/2010 3:58:50 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
This is looking a lot like the Carter years

Just before the 1980 vote, I figured I'd get myself a good "assault" rifle if Carter got reelected. He didn't, and I didn't.

Well, I'm not waiting for the next election. Meeting my daughter at the range in the morning. She is dying to try out the new AR 15 I got a few weeks ago.

BTW, Cabella's has got $5 shipping on $99+ orders. Their ammo prices are pretty good. Way better than Wal Mart.

9 posted on 09/24/2010 5:12:16 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s, you weren't really there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mojito

10 posted on 09/24/2010 5:16:27 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (Sarah Palin....The Thrilla from Wasilla)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: liberty or death

He’ll be out before this term ends...Feb. 2011....


11 posted on 09/24/2010 6:53:27 PM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
As good as Reagan was, he did not stop the liberalWing of GHWB or Rockefeller from their insidious treason of America.

What we need now is a Patton/Sherman/Custer//Stonewall Jackson/Mic Collins in 1 individual (or 2-3 into a single fighting force, and NO Palin won't do here) and go for the gonads/throat of the enemy, again and again and again 'till they are a bloody pulp on the tarmak.
As solid as Reagan was he would be no match by himself for the formidable enemies we face now.

12 posted on 09/24/2010 6:58:15 PM PDT by SonsOfCollins_Wallace ("... if yah ken behr eit" OR "where yah goin William ?.... ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ChildOfThe60s

Thanks for the Cabella’s tip. You were right, great prices.
Just placed an order and it may be worth a drive to go to their store in Nevada.


13 posted on 09/24/2010 7:56:19 PM PDT by Publius6961 ("In 1964 the War on Poverty Began --- Poverty won.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SonsOfCollins_Wallace

You and I are going to have to disagree on this, but I have a question. Did you think, at the time, that Reagan/Bush could have ended the Cold War without firing a shot?


14 posted on 09/25/2010 7:01:36 AM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty

Not sure what you are refering to.
As for Reagan ending the ColdWar, he did what he had to so, as bloody as necessary, so again what are you asking ....??
As for Bush, he was no real help but Reagan had to include him to molofy the Rockefeller/RINO and keep them in check....


15 posted on 09/26/2010 4:16:21 PM PDT by SonsOfCollins_Wallace ("... if yah ken behr eit" OR "where yah goin William ?.... ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SonsOfCollins_Wallace
Not sure what you are refering to.

I'll expand on it. When Reagan/Bush were sworn in in 1981, did you believe the Cold War would end the way it did ten years later?

16 posted on 09/26/2010 4:51:35 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
“When Reagan/Bush were sworn in in 1981, did you believe the Cold War would end the way it did ten years later?”

In 1981 I had no specific notion that the ColdWar would end. However, as the decade progressed I came to the notion that we could “spend them to death” as they had no means of paying for their basic necessities (recall wheat sales because of failed farming methods) and that seems to be what happened.

So how did you come to that series of thoughts from my initial post ?? A non-seqitor to me.

17 posted on 09/26/2010 6:07:29 PM PDT by SonsOfCollins_Wallace ("... if yah ken behr eit" OR "where yah goin William ?.... ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: SonsOfCollins_Wallace
My point was that you think Reagan (and by implication Palin) would "be no match by himself for the formidable enemies we face now". I wanted to point out that you probably didn't think in 1980 that Reagan could handle the Soviets either. Ten years later, no more Soviet Union.

I was just trying to inject some optimism into your post. Nothing more.

18 posted on 09/27/2010 1:52:51 PM PDT by TwelveOfTwenty (Compassionate Conservatism? Promoting self reliance is compassionate. Promoting dependency is not.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
You keep getting my point all wrong.
There is no direct similarity to what Reagan was up against and what we are facing today. Though the adversary is the same, it is a very different context.
He did a good job for what he was there for and he
had a reasonable understanding of Gramscian marxist ideology but he did not fully attack its intrusions into America then while governor/president.
Today the situation is 1000 times worst so don't confuse the two time lines.
Recall that he allowed the first Amnesty of illegals aliens when he could have done what Eisenhower did.
But that is all besides the situation.

Palin however seems to have less of an understanding of the CultureWar (or her take on it is fractionated and not complete, yet) than Reagan did and less willingness to take on the bloody-mindedness needed to fight the enemy today.
She could have NOT backed McCain, etc but she seems “too nice” to succeed at this war and that would fit with her being a woman - its not in the DNA for women to have that much “organized frightful being” needed to fight like men do.
But she seems able to motivate others who do have a solid understanding of the CultureWar and that bloody-mindedness needed to sustain a warfare attitude.
She herself has said as much when MSM try to box her in but she is adept and astute enough to play the word-game and keep them at a distance. And don't confuse any OTHER female poli-leaders by analogy. Palin is specific to here and now. What Thatcher or any other females do or did is IRRELEVANT.

19 posted on 09/27/2010 2:39:49 PM PDT by SonsOfCollins_Wallace ("... if yah ken behr eit" OR "where yah goin William ?.... ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: TwelveOfTwenty
Just to complete the point. The USSR/its allies in M.East are not gone away only changed its camouflage.
The Comintern has not died - G.Sorus is alive and well and so is Obama, the other factions are as active.

It is not a question of his being a “match” but not having the background to take on such an elusive and dedicated enemy. We are having problems getting folks today to step up to the fight with the sort of awareness I'm suggesting.
Reagan would be too old and that is not a chide against him but a fact of nature.
D. Horowitz, G. Wilders, P.Geller, - these folks and others like them seem to have the understanding I'm referring to.

20 posted on 09/27/2010 2:51:21 PM PDT by SonsOfCollins_Wallace ("... if yah ken behr eit" OR "where yah goin William ?.... ")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson