Friday, February 13, 2004
Big Questions Put Bush on the Defensive
Dear Mr. Krauthammer,
The Washington Post
February 13, 2004
You're theory that the other shoe hasn't dropped because of the courageous and determined efforts by the President reads well. But like so much connected with this presidency, the theory fall apart on closer examination.
Leaving aside the fact that we've moved plenty of new American targets closer to the source and felt the brunt of concerted efforts to kill and harm Americans by the terrorists and others, you could credit prior administrations for their efforts because attacks on our soil were relatively few, minor and largely home-grown prior to September 11.
It is entirely possible, and one hope so, that the attack was a one shot deal to disrupt American society. It that, it was enormously successful.
Our military is strapped. Our free society is now much less so. Spending on the wars and homeland security is well on the way to breaking our long-term economic outlook. Many of former friends overseas see us a new enemy. Our national government, while not in paralysis, has been so preoccupied with the aftermath of September 11 that urgent domestic problems have received ill-considered attention or lip service. Defense and security spending has forced state and local government to increase taxes and cut public services, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
But more important and despite the glowing predictions or "stay the course" rhetoric, few of these conditions are likely to go away anything in the near future. The attack transformed American and not for the better.
The other shoe may not have dropped because there may not be one. In this case, one shoe was more than enough to do the job.
Best regards,
Peter Roberts
New London, CT
---------------
Peter J. Roberts
Editor and Publisher
Newenglandwow.com
Dear Mr. Krauthammer,
The Washington Post
February 13, 2004
You're theory that the other shoe hasn't dropped because of the courageous and determined efforts by the President reads well. But like so much connected with this presidency, the theory fall apart on closer examination.
Leaving aside the fact that we've moved plenty of new American targets closer to the source and felt the brunt of concerted efforts to kill and harm Americans by the terrorists and others, you could credit prior administrations for their efforts because attacks on our soil were relatively few, minor and largely home-grown prior to September 11.
It is entirely possible, and one hope so, that the attack was a one shot deal to disrupt American society. It that, it was enormously successful.
Our military is strapped. Our free society is now much less so. Spending on the wars and homeland security is well on the way to breaking our long-term economic outlook. Many of former friends overseas see us a new enemy. Our national government, while not in paralysis, has been so preoccupied with the aftermath of September 11 that urgent domestic problems have received ill-considered attention or lip service. Defense and security spending has forced state and local government to increase taxes and cut public services, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
But more important and despite the glowing predictions or "stay the course" rhetoric, few of these conditions are likely to go away anything in the near future. The attack transformed American and not for the better.
The other shoe may not have dropped because there may not be one. In this case, one shoe was more than enough to do the job.
Best regards,
Peter Roberts
New London, CT
---------------
Peter J. Roberts
Editor and Publisher
Newenglandwow.com
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