'Stop Fighting Each Other'

GrenFellHunt is the nickname of a doctoral student in classics who also teaches philosophy and theology at a Catholic college, which, he explains, "probably explains my enthusiasm for the Defense of the West." He blogs at President Aristotle.

When Baghdad fell, W was at the height of his popularity and led a united country. A year later, the mishandling of the occupation had produced a bitterly divided country, and W was re-elected only by the skin of his teeth.

The closest historical parallel is Truman's mishandling of Korea. If Truman was right to go to Korea (and he was), his inability to win the war forced him out of office and led to his party's defeat.

But where the Republicans in 1952 reversed a generation of isolationism, the Democrats in 2004 blew their opportunity brilliantly. The leaders of the party surrendered to all the anti-war excesses of their Vietnam era youth. At present, they look to succeed in losing a very winnable 2006 with the same brilliance that cost them 2004.

Truman's tactical mistakes did not undo his grand strategy in foreign policy, nor in the eyes of history his greatness as a president. So Bush: his likely successors are McCain and Giuliani, who will keep W’s strategy but who will aim for better tactical skill. For the vision is compelling: Islam has led one of the most glorious civilizations in human history, yet until now it has wandered in deserts of dictatorship, never finding oases of freedom. W's vision has been to democratize not merely a state, but a civilization, and one of the world's oldest and longest lasting. He will certainly succeed in Afghanistan; and probably, through many vicissitudes, in Iraq. He bids strong to be remembered as one of history's great liberators and one of a handful great American presidents.

Yet the domestic division has been tragic. September 11th might have changed everything; Iraq meant that it changed nothing. As Korea produced McCarthyism, Iraq has produced (Michael) Mooreism—the hysterical, unreasoning hatred of president and country; and of course, countervailing hysteria on the right. It’s very, very sad. I sorely wish we could go back to fighting terrorism and stop fighting each other.