Sunday, August 13, 2006

Second, I fear for politics by attack dogs. The movement in Connecticut did not support Lamont, it opposed Lieberman. Lamont is a cipher, like Robert Redford in The Candidate. I have feared that the left has made its mark these last six years by being against and not being for. I am eager to hear the winning strategy in Iraq and the Middle East — and I do not count leaving alone as a strategy — and the winning strategy against terrorism and Islamic totalitarianism. Democrats attacking Democrats will not win elections. Democrats attacking Republicans will not rule the nation. It’s time for positive leadership.

I have feared that the left has made its mark these last six years by being against and not being for. I am eager to hear the winning strategy in Iraq and the Middle East — and I do not count leaving alone as a strategy — and the winning strategy against terrorism and Islamic totalitarianism.

And, no, "getting the hell out of there" is not an acceptable answer, dooming the Iraqis to the civil war many have already declared, and to worsening bloodshed and anarchy. From a humanitarian - that is, a liberal - perspective, we cannot abandon these people to such terror.

Neither is it acceptable to answer the question with the question, "How the hell did we get there?" We're there. Madeline Bunting in the Guardian and in Comment is Free insists that we cannot be "deleting the past." I will stipulate that along with much more: that the war is not over and we cannot see the end; that the preparation and execution of this policy have not worked; that the incumbents do not know what to do. So fine, if we acknowledge all that, if we end the argument, where are we? Still in Iraq. Still in the mess.

Norm Geras does not agree. He is a fellow commenter and, like me, a liberal hawk and a warblogger, as we used to be called. Geras blogged his response to Bunting here, refusing her call to account, refusing to confess that this war and the one in Afghanistan are failures and that democracy will not work there. He will not apologise.

But even if he and I and all the hawks, liberal or conservative, agreed to agree with Bunting et al, we are all still no closer to peace in Iraq. Bush and Blair do not have the solution. So what is yours?

Democrats attacking Democrats will not win elections. Democrats attacking Republicans will not rule the nation.