Through the Past, Very Darkly

In another ring of the circus that was the recent 911 Commission Hearings, slightly away from the bookseller's table where the spotlight's glare brought beads of sweat to discredited "terrorism expert" Richard Clarke, former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerry asked former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger why former President Bill Clinton didn't lead America in an invasion of Afghanistan near the end of the last millennium (audio available here).

Sandy Berger: I do not believe that this country was ready to invade Afghanistan before Sep 11, notwithstanding the fact we had a President who in 1996 said "This is... this is the challenge of our generation, this is the threat of our generation...

Bob Kerry: I just... I don't... I mean... you... you persuaded the American people that military effort was necessary in Bosnia. You didn't have the House of Representatives with you; you barely had a majority in the Senate. You persuaded the American people that war was necessary to get Slobodan Milosevic to stop uh, his terror uh... in Kosovo...

Berger: Yea, and we also had 19 Democracies in NATO in both of (chuckling) those cases that were standing with us together...

Kerry: But I'm saying, the point is only that, if you... the argument that I find to be most unpersuasive is to say "we couldn't have gotten it done because nobody would have been with us"

Did you catch it? The insight into the thinking of some people on matters of national security? Let me paraphrase, and you can use the comments to tell me if I'm being fair.

Berger: We couldn't invade Afghanistan, America wouldn't have it.

Kerry: But you went to war in Bosnia and Kosovo without initial popular support.

Berger: Yes but we had foreign countries supporting us.

Did I get it right? Yes, America was against it, but it was popular overseas.

Said matter-of-factly, as if no additional explanation was needed. "Well, certainly, but Europe called and we came running. You see, that eliminates all consideration of what the unwashed masses of Americans want. We'll tell them what they want" (Chuckle)

Have I stretched it too far yet? I think not. That mind set is pervasive in today's Democratic Party, and you can hear it echo in Kerry's comments about going to war without allies, and in Jimmy Carter's poisonous attacks on our nation's unbending willingness to defend itself (in spite of Europe's desires to the contrary).

“I think the basic reason was made not in London but in Washington,” he said. “I think that Bush Jr was inclined to finish a war that his father had precipitated against Iraq.

They can't always hide it: "America first" is an acceptable phrase only if preceded by the words "hate" or "blame".

"I am deeply concerned that our leadership today has been eroded by global doubts about our government's commitment to the basic principles of truth, peace and human rights," Carter said. "We see trust and friendship toward the United States at its lowest point in history."

"Respected human rights leaders no longer see our country as a noble example to be emulated, but as a focus of their almost universal condemnation."

Want to name those "respected leaders", Mr. Carter? Could they be Kerry's "foreign leaders" too?

This is why John Kerry must swear repeatedly that he would never betray American interests to foreign powers: because he will.

On March 21 2003, in the early days of the Iraq war, with success as yet uncertain, 48 countries were committed to the coalition.

Along with Congress.

Oh, and the American people.