Defeat Without Consequences

Gutlessness as an art form

In all my years as a sentient American citizen I have never seen as sad, pathetic and low-class a spectacle as the current effort by both Houses of Congress to issue non-binding resolutions criticizing the President’s war strategy. It is gutless beyond belief. It is sleazy and yeller and oily. It is the very worst sort of posturing, designed to protect the resolvers from anything resembling responsibility while giving them the freedom to act somber and important and, most critically, bust the President’s chops.

The previous low point was the betrayal of the South Vietnamese in the 1970s. But at least that Congress was willing to stand up and be counted. They took Affirmative Action to secure America’s disgrace, but were willing to let history judge them for it.

The current bunch can’t even do that. They dare not do anything that might smack of betraying American troops, for that would be certain electoral disaster. They cannot be seen as being “soft on terrorism,” although the radical base of the Democratic Party certainly sees America as the greater villain. No, rather than do anything mature, responsible or constitutional, they spend their time doing the one thing they are not empowered by anybody or anything to do – criticize the President’s execution of the War.

Two things are clear about our current left. First, they do not view the War on Islamic Terror as a problem for America. They have not internalized that it is their problem. They perceive it entirely as President Bush’s problem. They perceive this to be his war, not theirs. Therefore, they see defeat as his defeat. Not theirs. Not America’s. They are as forthright about seeking defeat as they can possibly be without it having electoral repercussions for them. Think about that. A substantial portion of the Congress is actively seeking to effect America’s disgrace and defeat. I guess it’s a good thing they have no guts.

Second, it is obvious the Left remains completely married to the Vietnam template. Part of this template stipulates that any projection of American force for protecting or projecting American interests is arrogant, corrupt and imperialistic. Another part of it stipulates that America can only be saved from itself through the energy and action of a band of heroic “dissenters.” From this perspective it is more important to stop America from doing harm than it is to prevent bad guys from flying airplanes into our buildings. We represent the greater threat to the “world community,” and We must be stopped.

While it is undeniable that a large chunk of current Democrat leadership represents this view – being disproportionately drawn from baby boomer radicals – it is also true that a number of standard-issue feckless politicians have their noses to the wind and are prepared to be as dishonorable as the polls say they need to be. It’s quite a combination – moral cowards and scheming lefties working together to actively find ways to let America lose, while avoiding blame for doing exactly that. Nothing is easier than to be a gutless wonder.

There has been some clever maneuvering around these resolutions. The Republicans have played defense reasonably well. But my gosh it would be refreshing to have someone get up in front of the House or Senate and give their colleagues the vigorous dressing-down they so desperately deserve.

The one area of solace in this sea of dangerous silliness is that this behavior betrays the weakness of the left in general and the Democrats in particular. The thing that prevents them from moving from weak-kneed empty gestures to active measures is their own weakness. They dare not do anything that is actually meaningful. Because they know the American people don’t want to risk success or America’s prestige. The American people do not want what the left wants. The war in Iraq may have proven unpopular, but the cause has not. The American people do not want to see defeat or disgrace. They want to see us prevail. That is what prevents the Democrats from going too far, and it is what they need to pay careful attention to leading up to 2008.

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