brunobaby

Suzanne Nossel of Democracy Arsenal comments on an article by Martin Peretz in this week's New Republic:

Peretz criticizes liberals for “churlishness” in the face of Bush’s achievements, noting that “One does not have to admire a lot about George W. Bush to admire what he has so far wrought. One need only be a thoughtful American with an interest in proliferating liberalism around the world. "

But it's not just churlishness that makes liberals reluctant to praise Bush:

Rather, we are convinced that key aspects of his approach – the arrogance, the deception, the lack of accountability, the cronyism, the dismissiveness of critics and questioners, the failure to uphold democratic values while purporting to promote democracy, the refusal to admit mistakes – are flat out wrong.

We’re not blind to the positive and important results of Bush’s daring in the Middle East. But we believe that over time, the negative sides of his foreign policy will likely overwhelm the positive, isolating America, making threats more difficult to contain, and undermining our influence and our security.

In fact, the attitudes and actions of "The Bratocracy" almost make you wish that these developments tank bigtime, which puts you morally on the same team as that jerkoff at Columbia who wished for "a million Mogadishus" to prove his point.

That's why it's important for liberals not to sit around with their fingers in thier ears pretending this all isn't happening, or waiting to be smug if and when this mission falls on its ass. Rather:

we must continue hammering at what’s wrong with Bush’s approach, and scheming to define a foreign policy that will be every bit as bold and visionary, but will attract rather than repel the rest of the world.

Democracy Arsenal is a foreign affairs blog with a progressive slant and a lot of great ideas. They would like Democrats and progressives to bring back the internationalism of the pre-Vietnam era. I'd like that, too.

Also, see this:

The Liberal Uses of Power
Clarity in dealing with terrorism, yes; and also in living up to our highest ideals. By Paul Starr, Michael Tomasky and Robert Kuttner.