|
Ted Rall goes back to the future
Ted Rall is at his fatalistic best in his latest column, predicting the doom of 2004.Should the Republicans and Bush prevail, the radical reforms enacted under his first term--a shift of power away from Congress toward an increasingly imperious presidency, the transition from European-influenced secular democracy to Third World-style theocratic police state, perpetual war--will take on an air of institutional permanence.It almost sounds like 1984. However, France is curtailing religious freedom and dictators are peacefully capitulating. Engineering a withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, two pointless and unaffordable wars, would suck up time and money. Terrorists might mistake reasonableness for weakness and strike more aggressively at American targets.(emphasis mine)Afghanistan just got a constitution, and Iraq is chugging along towards self-government, but I suppose thatâs not enough. Al Qaeda is on the run, its supply lines are heavily depleted, and it has taken to attacking its own old benefactor. There too, innocent people have been its victims. Three years have passed without a major attack on US soil, and barring the Bali attack, any major incidents elsewhere. Al Qaedaâs effect on the outside world is currently reduced to issuing PR announcements through their good friends Al-Jazeera. Indeed, pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan would be a colossal mistake, and nothing could embolden the terrorists more. But to Rall, a few attacks on American targets seems to be worth getting rid of Dubyaâs Evil Empire. The tone of the article implies that Rall wants things to get worse just so that Bush looks bad and the Democrats look good. He has a long list of predictions tacked on — and some are rather specific. Iâll be keeping a checklist. Not that its going to matter if Rallâs blinkers are still on. Posted by: Vivek 2004-01-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=23870 |