Krauthammer "Democratic Realism" (Must read and bookmark!)

A E I ^ | February 12, 2004 | Charles Krauthammer

[ChadGore]

Re: Furthermore, such comments showed a remarkable amount of disdain for people who are likely to vote Republican, and to enlist disproportionately in the military to fight the wars Krauthammer supports.

I would agree that Krauthammer is hickaphobic.

[sauropod]

read later

[GretchenEE]

marker bump

Krauthammer is such a brainiac.

[rbmillerjr]

Krauthammer has a way of slicing through all the snapshot crap and putting a handle on everything.

Brilliant article.

[mabelkitty]

Bump for brains!
I love this guy!

[okie01]

"Then there are the liberal internationalists. They like to dream, and to the extent they are aware of our unipolar power, they don’t like it. They see its use for anything other than humanitarianism or reflexive self-defense as an expression of national selfishness."

There is, I think, another reason why liberals don't like our unipolar power. Krauthammer is too civil to mention it, but I will:

Liberals know that, entrusted with such power, they would assuredly abuse it. Consequently, they assume others would, as well -- especially the "evil" conservatives.

Thus, the liberal objection to American unipolar power is based upon a projection of their own moral weaknesses.

In their innermost selves, liberals intrinsically know they should not be entrusted with power -- no matter how desperately they seek it. And they are right...

[okie01]

"Then there are the liberal internationalists. They like to dream, and to the extent they are aware of our unipolar power, they don’t like it. They see its use for anything other than humanitarianism or reflexive self-defense as an expression of national selfishness."

There is, I think, another reason why liberals don't like our unipolar power. Krauthammer is too civil to mention it, but I will:

Liberals know that, entrusted with such power, they would assuredly abuse it. Consequently, they assume others would, as well -- especially the "evil" conservatives.

Thus, the liberal objection to American unipolar power is based solely upon a projection of their own moral weaknesses.

In their innermost selves, liberals intrinsically know they should not be entrusted with power -- no matter how desperately they seek it. And they are right...

[JDoutrider]

Krauthammer BTTT

[MEG33]

This was a don't miss it event.I loved this speech.

[MEG33]

Did you miss the "targeted,focused and LIMITED" part at the end of his speech?

[John Lenin]

Excellent article.

[FranklinsTower]

bump

[JimRed]

BTTT..

[TADSLOS]

A brilliant speech by a brilliant man. Bookmarking.

[the invisib1e hand]

what stability we do enjoy today is owed to the overwhelming power and deterrent threat of the United States.

an agent, I offer, of the grace of God.

[Monti Cello]

Krauthammer spent a good chunk of the speech explaining why domestic 'checks and balances' do not apply to the global geopolitical situation.

I do not care to have the US Constitution and its requirements on the Executive to be 'checked and balanced' by the likes of the French, Germans, Russians, Chinese and the host of vicious tyrannies who challenge us and compose much of the UN.

You are correct that domestic peace is maintained by the rule of law by consent of the governed -- power ultimately dispersed among the people.

But what you propose sounds like transferring the legitimate power of the American people into the illegitimate hands of world political elites which do not well represent their own people, much less Americans. That is not dispersal of power, it's concentration of power, as the Europeans are beginning to see as they try the same thing at the regional level.

There is no other body which has demonstrated the responsible use of power for moral purposes better than the American people. Is that not plainly obvious?

Giving that up to a gaggle of current and recent tyrannies, even in portion, does not achieve the ends you seek. Discussing geopolitics without mention of the underlying morality is useless.

We do not 'govern' the other countries of the world with rare exception when they pose a threat. They are free to have a say in our foreign policy after they've been granted US statehood. Until then, I'm, in no mood to share my power with the Chicoms and former Soviets and the like.

[woofie]

excellent!

[Mel Gibson]

Charles Krauthammer is a brilliant thinker, the best op ed writer in the country.