The Workday Liberal

Reading today's parting speech by Secretary Rumsfeld, one must be struck by just how little this man comprehends the struggle this nation faces in the war on terror. I realize coming from some obscure little pipsqueak lefty this may be provocative, so I invite you to consider these pearls of wisdom as given us by Rumsfeld himself:

Ours is a world of unstable dictators, weapon proliferators and rogue regimes. And each of these enemies seeks out our vulnerabilities. And as free people, we have vulnerabilities.

America, by and large, is not threatened by unstable rouge dictators. The enemy we face is nation less, and driven by hate for our policies in the world, especially the invasion of Iraq. It is precisely the line of thinking here expressed by Rumsfeld, that led us to overthrow the "rogue regime" of Saddam Hussein. Thus it is precisely that line of thinking that has resulted in the explosive growth in numbers of the true enemy of America in the war on terror. Indeed by ignoring world opinion and insisting that to even talk to our adversaries is wrongheaded, we would do well to consider who the true rogues truly are while this administration is running affairs.

Today, it should be clear that not only is weakness provocative, but the perception of weakness on our part can be provocative, as well. A conclusion by our enemies that the United States lacks the will or the resolve to carry out missions that demand sacrifice and demand patience is every bit as dangerous as an imbalance of conventional military power.

If we must appear so freaking invincible, I think it would behoove us to carefully consider the conflicts we decide to initiate. Having determined that looking weak emboldens our enemies it probably stands the test of logic to pick fights we will win. Touching off a bloody civil war, and possible regional conflagration, with the army we have at the time, probably wasn't such a grand idea in hindsight... Not that Rumsfeld or the crew would ever admit that. If we HAVE to win, finishing the job in Afghanistan and then taking stock at that point seems like a good bet. Too bad they were so freaking wrong, but by their own rhetoric they doom us to appearing weak and invite enemy aggression by being so boneheaded and flat out wrong about the war they chose to fight.

Speaking of doing whatever it takes to win, here's Rummy on the strength of America:

I know that the American people can summon the same grit that helped our founders forge from a wilderness a new frontier. I know it because I've seen it over my own lifetime. It's the same steel that sent our fathers and grandfathers across oceans to defend free nations from tyrants; that same grit that gave the Americans to endure 40 years of a Cold War under the specter of nuclear annihilation.

Frankly this sentiment, on it's own merit is correct. But the administrations call for sacrifice in the war on terror, or the war in Iraq, has been decidedly muted. With the notable exception of requesting the military to stretch itself thin with stop loss and constant rotations through the meat grinder of Iraq. Is Halliburton sacrificing for our cause? How about Shell or Exxon? For that matter what about you or me? I'll wager the average person reading this post would last about a week in Valley Forge or Morristown with the Continental Army... But far less sacrifice is being called upon than that invoked by Rumsfeld. Are our taxes higher to pay the back breaking debt this war has brought us? Are you being asked to ration your gasoline so we can start to wean ourselves from middle east oil? What exactly are we as citizens being asked to sacrifice, ala Rosie the Riveter in WWII who gave up her nylons and sugar for that cause? Great sentiment Rummy, now lets see this President or his flunkies get the gumption to actually ask us for that sacrifice. You think the Iraq war is unpopular now? Just wait til you have to pay a war tax! The war ends in six months if something like that ever happens.

Heres some more high falutin poo fuffery (that was Rumsfeldian I dare say) from the departing failure of a Sec/Def.

So it is with confidence that I say that America's enemies should not confuse the American people's distaste of war, which is real, and which is understandable, with a reluctance to defend our way of life. Enemy after enemy in our history have made that mistake to their regret.

Yer durn tootin we'll defend our way of life! That's why we just tossed the Republicans out of Congress. That's why the Presidents approval is in the low 30's. Our way of life, as I was raised to understand it was to stand for truth, to respect world opinion, to form alliances and value our friends. All sentiments which this administration has seen fit to discard. This administration has trashed over 200 years of American history. Torturing prisoners? UnAmerican, and something Rumsfeld approved of. Lying to the American people in order to pre-emptively start a needless war? UnAmerican, and just what this administration did. Using national tragedy for crass political purposes. UnAmerican... but Rovian to the core. Not counting all the votes, and being selected for the Presidency by the Supreme Court? So so unAmerican... but without that unAmerican event being foisted upon us at the start of this horrible administration Rumsfeld would not have ever had the job he just said goodbye too.