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November 17, 2002AL GORE, POST-MODERN POLITICIAN Current Events Quiz: Who is quoted in Time magazine arguing that American foreign policy is "based on an openly proclaimed intention to dominate the world"? That's right, it's #3, Al Gore. The endless self-reinventions continue. Once upon a time, long long ago, there was an Al Gore who embraced the use of American power in support of democracy and freedom. Now we have the multicultural, post-modern, sensitive Al, who apparently feels American power constitutes a greater danger to the world than the terrorists who threaten us. The newest version of Al Gore, we learn, devotes himself to meditation and prayer. He is humanizing himself. He's worried. Soon, God help us, he will feel our pain. Before that happens, the new Al Gore should cultivate his natural core constituency in the liberal arts faculties of American universities where post modern dogmas prevail. Al Gore, meet Judith Butler (see below). Like her you can help those of us who mistakenly thought the main threat we faced came from Islamo-fascists who want to kill us. Thank you for providing a richer, more nuanced "narrative' version of reality that focuses our attention on the prime threat to world peace and stability: American power directed towards world domination by George W. Bush. Posted at 08:21 PM by
 
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But, is what Gore said all that inaccurate? The National Security policy document that the Bush Administration issued called out that "we must build and maintain our defenses beyond challenge." To me, that read as attaining a level of readiness that would not merely be initimidating, but capable of scaring the little panties off all the other countries and satraps that we don't count as friends. I'm not sure how you read that document in some other terms besides "domination."
I think we can move the understanding a lot further if we think more about what he said and less time trying to understand his motivations... Isn't that the problem many on the right have with those liberals who try to understand anti-Americanism abroad, spending too much time on understanding motivations?
Posted by: Frank on November 18, 2002 10:30 AMQuick follow up: how do we stop those countries and satraps that are not our friends that we aren't the madman with the stick who has just entered the room?
Posted by: Frank on November 18, 2002 01:40 PMFrank,
We want those who are not our friends to be sufficiently intimidated as to think twice before making trouble. I have no problem with the Islamo-fascists thinking we want to dominate the world. Properly applied, the use and threat of force has a sedative effect. Remember how the Arab street was going to erupt if we waged war on the Taliban?
Now I'm going to pour myself a drink and browse your web site. The combination of Dr. Johnson and Gentleman Jack is all that life could offer.
Regards,
Posted by: Steve on November 18, 2002 05:21 PMSteve
I was going to say Gore's comments are the sort of thing only the wacky left and university professors make, not politicians, then it hit me - of course, he is a university professor, now it makes sense, he's gone around the bend and joined them.
Posted by: Patrick Wahl on November 21, 2002 03:13 PMPatrick, whether or not your characterization of university professors is accurate (and based on something better than that study David Horowitz had pollster Frank Luntz do), it's a very funny comment.
Posted by: Frank on November 21, 2002 04:31 PMAnd world domination is a bad thing because....?
I think a lot of these folks ate some bad acid, turned the TV on to "Pinkie and The Brain" and thought they were watching C-Span...
Posted by: Mike S on November 23, 2002 10:00 AMYep... that tall mouse guy must be GWB and the short mouse guy must be Cheney...
"What are we doing today Cheney?"
"What we do every day GDub, try to take over the world."
World domination is a bad thing because:
- Other countries have a right to not be dominated
- Achieving and maintaining dominance is an extremely expensive proposition that saps resources which might be better spent elsewhere. (The fall of the Roman empire is a pretty compelling example.) I'd like us to be aorund longer.
Posted by: Frank on November 26, 2002 09:02 AMYeah, it's great to be the big kid on the block, but new kids come along.
Hello Folks,nice site youre running!
Posted by: Preteen on October 12, 2003 01:01 PM