I Dare Any American to Name a Single Bush or Republican National Security Success

I Dare Any American to Name a Single Bush or Republican National Security Success...Just One
A. Alexander, August 18th, 2006
Republicans are masters at creating a political perception that is entirely divorced from reality. On no other issue is this highlighted more clearly than regarding national security. What is more incredible still, is that the American people buy into these Republican myths regardless of what their own senses tell them.

Somewhere in the national security formula must be a variable called competence. How is it possible for a president or party to keep the nation secure, if their strategy has resulted in a string of one failure followed by another? Bush and Republicans began the war in Afghanistan, completed half the job, pulled out most of the military resources, and have done virtually nothing as that country slips back into the hands of al Qaeda and the Taliban. A recent report stated, in no uncertain terms, that the Bush-backed strategy for combating an Islamist insurrection in Pakistan has failed 'badly'. The Bush administration's attempts at preventing Somalia from falling to Taliban-like Islamists, has also failed. All this, of course, says nothing about the complete and utter disaster known as Iraq.

Iraq was, is, and will be a Bush and Republican operation. They wanted the war, made up out of thin air the evidence to get the war, fired any General who tried to tell them their post-invasion force was too small to secure the country, and steadfastly refused to alter their policy. Contrary to altering their march toward failure, they've insisted we must 'stay the course'. Further, due to our being trapped in Iraq, Iran has begun developing nuclear weapons and North Korea has actually quadrupled the number of nuclear weapons in their arsenal.

Bush and Republicans have not succeeded in a single national security-related endeavor. Indeed, everything they've done has made America less safe. That other nations maintain a healthy fear of our military might is vital to national security but, too, just as important is that world leaders respect American diplomacy and our leadership. Today, few nations take seriously our threat of force because they know we are bogged down in Iraq. Both North Korea and Iran have made a hobby of thumbing their noses at Bush's threats of force. And it would require a determined Sherlock Holmes-like detective to discover many global leaders who respect either America's diplomatic efforts, or our leadership.

That the United States has lost all respect within the international community cannot be denied. It is humiliating enough that a ranking member of the British government called the President of the United States 'crap', but it is all the more embarrassing and telling when the Chinese envoy tells the United States to 'shut up'.

'''It's better for the U.S. to shut up,' Sha said. 'Keep quiet. It's much, much better.'''

"It is better for the U.S. to shut up"? The President of the United States is "crap"? In what parallel universe do the people of America view the sum total of Bush and Republican national security failures and hear world leaders uttering such disrespectful remarks and still, they arrive at the conclusion that Republicans are strong on national security? For the love of all things good and merciful, on whose watch did 9/11 occur? When it comes to the myth that Republicans are "strong" on national security, what will it take for the American people to realize they've been sold a bill of goods?

I challenge any American to name a single instance relating to national security, where either Bush or the Republican Party has been a success. Just one example of success...just one!