As Jay (Tonto) Silverheels of Brooklyn is reputed to have said to -- who was it played the Long Ranger? Clayton Moore?
Politicians can be trusted to take the easy way out. They will indulge their control freaking at home, where they can get away with it on the cheap. (And I hope not for much longer.)
Yes, I think it was Clayton Moore. It's a little before my time, admittedly. :)
I don't think domestic and foreign policy can be so neatly separated, especially not in the current environment of terrorist alerts and the cooking of the books on the reasons for war. I believe that ShrubCo now realizes the full extent of the power of these things in their quest to shape the domestic agenda, and I also believe that these same tactics will be used again should control seem to be slipping.
They've gotten a taste of blood now. They know that they can get away with anything done in the name of "security," and so I expect that we'll be facing more alleged imminent threats like the one invented in Iraq. In order to exercise these scenarios, it will be necessary for the US government to wield not a big stick, but a bludgeon, in dealing with our justifiably nervous allies, too. In addition to our color-coded terrorist alerts at home and the increasing perceived prevalence of weapons of mass destruction abroad (and hey, everybody knows our friends have far more of these than our enemies ever will!), I expect we'll see a trade war or six before the end of ShrubCo's second term.
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branchandroot
What you mean "we," white man?
Date: 2003-05-02 09:30 am (UTC)Politicians can be trusted to take the easy way out. They will indulge their control freaking at home, where they can get away with it on the cheap. (And I hope not for much longer.)
Maybe.
Re: What you mean "we," white man?
Date: 2003-05-04 08:24 am (UTC)I don't think domestic and foreign policy can be so neatly separated, especially not in the current environment of terrorist alerts and the cooking of the books on the reasons for war. I believe that ShrubCo now realizes the full extent of the power of these things in their quest to shape the domestic agenda, and I also believe that these same tactics will be used again should control seem to be slipping.
They've gotten a taste of blood now. They know that they can get away with anything done in the name of "security," and so I expect that we'll be facing more alleged imminent threats like the one invented in Iraq. In order to exercise these scenarios, it will be necessary for the US government to wield not a big stick, but a bludgeon, in dealing with our justifiably nervous allies, too. In addition to our color-coded terrorist alerts at home and the increasing perceived prevalence of weapons of mass destruction abroad (and hey, everybody knows our friends have far more of these than our enemies ever will!), I expect we'll see a trade war or six before the end of ShrubCo's second term.