In The End, There's No End?
Image by Rahid. Some rights reserved.
In case you thought the Bush years would end after the next election: A shallow question provokes a scary answer from the Democratic front runner. From the Las Vegas Democratic debate:
MR. BLITZER: . . . What you’re saying, Governor, is that human rights, at times, are more important than American national security?
GOV. RICHARDSON: Yes, because I believe we — (applause) — we need to find ways to say to the world that, you know, it’s not just about what Halliburton wants in Iraq, it’s also about our — (cheers, applause) — values of freedom, equality. Our strength is not just military and economic. Our strength as a nation is our values — equality, freedom, democracy –
. . .
GOV. RICHARDSON: — human rights. (Applause.)MR. BLITZER: Senator Edwards, I want you to weigh in.
GOV. RICHARDSON: That’s why we are strong.
MR. BLITZER: Go ahead, Senator.
MR. EDWARDS: [No definite answer]
. . .
MR. BLITZER: . . . Senator Obama, is human rights more important than American national security?SEN. OBAMA: The concepts are not contradictory, Wolf.
. . .
MR. BLITZER: So what’s more important, human rights or national security?SEN. DODD: Well, obviously national security, keeping the country safe. When you take the oath of office on January 20th –
. . .
SEN. DODD: — you promise to do two things, and that is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and protect our country against enemies both foreign and domestic. The security of the country is number one, obviously, yes, all right?
. . .
MR. BLITZER: You say national security is more important than human rights.Senator Clinton, what do you say?
SEN. CLINTON: I agree with that completely. I mean the first obligation of the president of the United States is to protect and defend the United States of America. That doesn’t mean that it is to the exclusion of other interests.
Time to invest in Waterboarding R Us LLC?
Reagan drastically changed the way Americans view their relationship to government. All government is bad. All taxes are bad. You owe nothing to society. Greed is good.
In his eight years, Bill Clinton never really challenged these ideas, and a generation grew up nursed on them. My students don't just believe these things, they are part of their mindset - ingrained in their worldview or their neural pathways. They are unable to question them without serious effort.
Bush's contribution to national norms looks as if will be as destructive. Look at Hillary Clinton's response. She has accepted the fundamental parts of the Bush worldview. In a sentence: You should be afraid, and we must kill, torture, attack other countries, and do anything else - regardless of domestic or international norms - to stay safe. Scary stuff.
(BTW, I can't imagine the framers of the Constitution would think much of the argument that the Presidential oath of office trumps our nation's ideals of human rights.)
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