Bush's Bold Policy
3 May 2003
Jonathan Rhodes
efreedomnews.com
In his speech announcing the end of major military operations in Iraq, President George W. Bush, bold in his policy while humble in this moment of victory, summed up the obvious but previously unspoken - given the leadership of this Commander in Chief, judiciously employing the unparalleled might of the US military, the United States has brought about a new day for freedom and liberty in the world. With these words, President Bush defined the future:
"The advance of freedom is the surest strategy to undermine the appeal of terror in the world. Where freedom takes hold, hatred gives way to hope. When freedom takes hold, men and women turn to the peaceful pursuit of a better life. American values and American interests lead in the same direction: We stand for human liberty."
What the remarkable military victory in Iraq has shown the world is that Osama Bin Laden did change the world on 911. Realpolitik is over. France, forget about slithering among the despots of the world, lying to the world about noble intentions of peace while supporting torturous regimes for the sake of your sick economy. Germany - want to go it alone? Hate America? Fine - good luck with socialism and Auf Wiedersehen. America needs political partners, friends of democracy, capitalism and freedom. We do not need Ramstein or Prince Sultan Airbases. In fact, our allies in the Persian Gulf states and eastern Europe not only offer better strategic locations for the post cold war realities of our military needs, but friendship, partnership, and certainly in the case of the former Soviet bloc nations, a quite recent memory of past repression and the celebration of liberty and freedom.
This President will advance the cause of democracy - not socialism; of liberty - not dependence and subjugation; of peaceful, civil society - not repressive, barbaric orders.
Winston Churchill said "The price of greatness is responsibility."
This President understands that the United States, as the major military and economic power in the world, has the responsibility to use that power. While history may note that the Clinton Administration presided over the largest economic fraud in the history of the American economy, that will be merely a footnote prior to the events of 911 and how America responded, changing forever the balance of power between the forces of freedom and the legions of repression throughout the world. President George H. Bush, steeped in the world of post World War 2 Realpolitik diplomacy, working to maintain the civilities of the world order that had served so well following the fall of Hitler, Tojo, and then the Soviets, did not confront the rise of fundamentalist Islamic repression and after removing Saddam from Kuwait allowed those fascists to grow their world of hate and terror.
This President Bush, hit with this reality on September 11, 2001, rose to the responsibilities of his office; first, of course, to protect American lives against terrorists, but he is now walking in the giant footsteps of other Presidents who have advanced the cause of freedom when it has been challenged. Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Truman and Reagan all were faced with enormous threats to the "Nobel Experiment" of freedom began in 1776, and now George W. Bush joins their experience. His task is also to advance the cause of liberty and freedom throughout the world, or to let that cause fall by the wayside, relegated to meeting its challenge by fire with only discourse and multilateral panderings. This President sees the raw hard realities of the world for what they are, and is meeting those realities with a challenge of his own.
Victory in Iraq has shown the reality of his words:
"In these 19 months that changed the world, our actions have been focused and deliberate and proportionate to the offense. We have not forgotten the victims of September the 11th -- the last phone calls, the cold murder of children, the searches in the rubble. With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got.
Our war against terror is proceeding according to principles that I have made clear to all: Any person involved in committing or planning terrorist attacks against the American people becomes an enemy of this country, and a target of American justice.
Any person, organization, or government that supports, protects, or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent, and equally guilty of terrorist crimes.
Any outlaw regime that has ties to terrorist groups and seeks or possesses weapons of mass destruction is a grave danger to the civilized world -- and will be confronted.
And anyone in the world, including the Arab world, who works and sacrifices for freedom has a loyal friend in the United States of America.
Click here for a USS Abraham Lincoln photo essay.
Our commitment to liberty is America's tradition -- declared at our founding; affirmed in Franklin Roosevelt's Four Freedoms; asserted in the Truman Doctrine and in Ronald Reagan's challenge to an evil empire. We are committed to freedom in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and in a peaceful Palestine. The advance of freedom is the surest strategy to undermine the appeal of terror in the world. Where freedom takes hold, hatred gives way to hope. When freedom takes hold, men and women turn to the peaceful pursuit of a better life. American values and American interests lead in the same direction: We stand for human liberty."
