A Separate Peace. America is in trouble--and our elites are merely resigned.

Wall Street Journal ^ | October 27, 2005 | PEGGY NOONAN

[kaktuskid]

Mine is that a series of tactical nuclear weapons will be easily shipped across our Southern border, smuggled innocuously into strategic positions and then simultaneously detonated to cause a mass panic and confusion. Instant Dark Ages with just a push of a button.

The border has been "open" for years...why wasn't it done in the past?

[Dark Skies]

People have been forecasting the end of the world for over a thousand years. But fanatical islam is an insidious enemy and the liberals in this country have no idea what it's like to fight for anything.

I agree.

But as to the end of the world, for the first time in history, one group has both the motive and the means (Islam and the nuclear bomb).

And as to our performance in this war with Islam...we have done vy well militarily but we losing against Islam on the domestic front, both in America and in the rest of the world.

Not all muslims are bad, of course. But that isn't relevent. The bad muslims have scared the good ones into submission so that they (the moderate muslims) are tacitly fighting and winning against the kuffar on the social/religious, political, and propaganda fronts.

The President thinks we can win the war against Islam militarily and by introducing democracy into the ME. He is wrong. This is not a "war on terror" nor a war with "Islamic extremism." Muslims all over the world know this and they see us as stupid and weak.

We cannot win a war without understanding the nature of the enemy.

Religion of Peace, indeed.

[IVC1974]

The sound you all are about to hear is the sound of the other shoe hitting the floor. :)

[BenLurkin]

Well for starters -- it should have been the first amendment.

[BenLurkin]

The reason so many people feel America is on the "wrong track" is that there is no clear conservative program from either party. Consequently the democrats will say we are on the wrong track until we have complete socialism and the republicans will say we are on the wrong track as long as we continue this slow slide into socialism.

If there was a conservative program in D.C. then at least half of America would see a brighter future.

[blam]

"Muslims take this as the sign to start their intifada......and a huge world war erupts."

Heck, that's part of the solution.

[gumboyaya]

Noonan and the rest of the anti Bush bashers are just cowards. You don't hide and curl up in a ball - you fix bayonets and charge.

[Jack Black]

Good correction. Thanks. It was a 'dare ya' thing. guess i get 1/2 credit?

[Mr. Jeeves]

You're a lobbyist or a senator or a cabinet chief, you're an editor at a paper or a green-room schmoozer, you're a doctor or lawyer or Indian chief, and you're making your life a little fortress.

Sure. Explains gun control legislation and insatiable social spending: "Disarm and buy off the revolutionary hordes and buy ourselves a little more time."

The signal that the end is near will come when it becomes routine for America's brightest professionals to accept long-term job postings in Asia.

[Jack Black]

ding ding ding. we have a winner !!

[Wolfie]

Our government sold us out to the corporations. The corporations are selling us out to the world.

[Jack Black]

I agree that a forcefully articulated true conservative position from someone would be a stimulant to the USA. Trouble is, I don't see anyone who can deliver it.

[x]

There does seem to be a "malaise" right now, and such becalmed or rudderless periods are usually followed by a major wake-up call, but the real problem may be being sensitive enough to notice such things. Free countries rely on people not always being energized or mobilized from some goal. Once you start to expect government to give you direction, you may have become part of the problem.

[litehaus]

"sacrifice is a nonexistent word."

Nope! They think everyone making a 100 grand should "kick in" another 10-20 percent....

[BikerNYC]

I agree with you 100%. To an entitlement society (meaning Libs and the MSM) sacrifice is a nonexistent word.

I don't know about you, but I have had it with a federal government that doesn't know the meaning of the word sacrifice, but would rather have everything its heart desires now and make our children and grandchildren pay for it all later.

If the leaders in the federal government knew anything about sacrifice, we would be paying everything we want now with our own money and not with a credit card, leaving the debt for our children to pay. It's disgusting and so totally selfish.

[jjm2111]

"Peggy needs to spend more time around business people. "

I think you're absolutely right. I can't think of one business colleague who's pessimistic. I'm not (though I do worry a little bit about our long term future). Yeah, this is a weird, navel-gazing column.

[Tarpon]

The MSM is creating a hysteria of doom-gloom and trying to blame it on Bush. There is no starker picture of this than Wilma causing gas lines because some power poles got knocked down -- and that somehow translates into a disaster. Hardship happens every day. It is up to you to choose not to live in the MSM created alternate reality.

And don't forget, there is 10 Iraq bomb stories for every halfway decent story of accomplishment. All the terrorists have to do is blow up in front of the MSM and Iraq is a catastrophe. Even more so, now that the MSM has lost their terrorist buddy who used to provide the nightly bomb videos.

[Mugwump]

"The MSM is creating a hysteria of doom-gloom and trying to blame it on Bush."

Gotta agree here. About two weeks ago, I felt the way Noonan speaks of in her article. But, I'm a guy who's nosy and wants to know the "why." So, after observing the news that was reported here and in the MSM, I got a little revelation. Every day, there's a new "we're all gonna die" scenario.

And it became apparent in each of those instances that Pres. Bush's name was brought up -- negatively.