September 24, 2002

Al Gore Cares In reading

Al Gore Cares

In reading the words of a politician like Al Gore, so clearly positioning himself to mobilize support for a Presidential run, it is useful to search out the cenral ideas that underlie his criticisms of the Administration. Especially when the argument is as muddled and self-contradictory (seeAndrew Sullivan as Mr. Gore's argument that we should prosecute the war on terror, but that warring on terror states like Iraq is a 'diversion'. The real central organizing idea is a therapeutic one: however important we think it is to fight this war, we must above all retain the sympathy and kind sentiments of the rest of the world. As Mr. Gore points out, our innocent victimization by the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon created instant sympathy.

As Mr. Gore puts it:
"....in the immediate aftermath of September 11th, more than a year ago, we had an enormous reservoir of good will and sympathy and shared resolve all over the world. That has been squandered in a year's time and replaced with great anxiety all around the world, not primarily about what the terrorist networks are going to do, but about what we're going to do. "

And that has consequences for us. Squandering all that good will and replacing it with anxiety in a year's time is similar to what was done by turning a $100 billion surplus into a $200 billion deficit in a year's time. "

What has happened in the past year's time to explain this change in attitudes? It would seem obvious: we have begun to carry the fight to the killers. We are no longer viewed by the world as hapless victims sunk in mournful despair. Indeed, we are causing 'anxiety' to millions of Islamists and their sympathizers in Europe who fear the roused wrath of our country, as well they should. But for Mr. Gore these fears and anxieties are bad; they are indications that we must be at fault. In his view what's needed is greater empathy and understanding, greater soul searching on our part to discern how we must be responsible for such things as Germany's withdrawal of support. Perhaps Mr. Gore has learned from the example of Israel that the world greatly prefers Jews and Americans as victims, and ceases to extend sympathy when they fight back against barbaric killers. Instead of worrying about the world's feelings towards us let us continue to prosecute the war until the enemies of freedom have been utterly destroyed. Then we can concern ourselves with the tender sensibilities of the world's worriers.

Posted at 01:50 PM by