The United States' strategic interests as the world's most powerful country coincide with its moral obligations as the richest. If we do not do the right thing to improve life in the Muslim world, the terrorists will step in and do the wrong thing.
It is easy to be a peace lover; the challenging part is being a peacemaker.
I think I need to read through the article a few times to digest it, but he doesn't strike me as ignorant on international issues. And I appreciate his awareness of the value of humility in international diplomacy, something the strutting and staggering current President has not understood.
The United States, as the world's only superpower, is less vulnerable to military defeat. But it is more vulnerable to the animosity of other countries. Much like a top high school student, if it is modest about its abilities and achievements, if it is generous in helping others, it is loved. But if it attempts to dominate others, it is despised. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out.
He also does not have an infantile fascination with the institution of democracy and rugged individualism.
Although we cannot export democracy as if it were Coca-Cola or KFC, we can nurture moderate forces in places where al Qaeda is seeking to replace modern evil with medieval evil. Such moderation may not look or function like our system -- it may be a benevolent oligarchy or more tribal than individualistic -- but both for us and for the peoples of those countries, it will be better than the dictatorships they have now or the theocracy they would have under radical Islamists.
I find it interesting that Mitt Romney now seems to be taking an angle that Huckabee isn't conservative enough. Hmmm. If the liberals don't like him because he's too conservative, and the conservatives don't like him because he's too liberal, that probably means he's right about where I want a candidate to be. I'm a little concerned though about his campaign hiring Reagan's former campaign advisor. Unlike many of my fellow Republicans, I do not share in the near idol worship of Reagan.
4 comments:
I like Huckabee. He went on Bill Maher (I say this because I know you don't watch it) and said that one of the big reasons why we have health care problems in America is because we eat fast food and don't exercise. I agree with that. I still think we need to fix healthcare, but I also embrace making people take responsibility for their own health.
As of right now, if Huckabee ran against Hillary, I'd vote Huck.
I think as far as Republicans go, Huckabee is a champ and he's way better than the sack of waste we have in office now.
However, if Huckabee runs against Edwards or Obama, the polls still show that he would lose to the top Democrat. Americans are just real sick of Bush and he's sort of screwed the entire Republican party.
I'm not a huge Obama fan, and I don't like Oprah endorsing him . . .
I still stand strong in my firm belief of a John Edwards run nation, and feel that he is more in the running that folks think.
Those are valid points. Bush took a big dump and flushed the whole party down the toilet with him. I think Huckabee's run has been so recent though that a lot of democrats and independents might still not know much about him. He was significantly trailing the Republican candidates a few weeks ago so I'm not overly surprised that he would still be significantly trailing the primary democratic contenders. There are many democrats who share your dislke of Hillary, and I think he could pull some over if she wins the nod. I'm not so sure if he could do the same with Obama or Edwards. But even if he were to win the Republican nomination and go into November trailing whoever the Democratic nomination is by wide margins, I would at least still feel like I have a reason to vote. There is something to be said to lose with dignity with a worthy candidate. I wouldn't feel that way if any of the other Republicans (Guiliani, Romney, Thompson) were to win, with McCain being the possible exception but he feels a lot like a Bob Dole type of candidate to me.
heheheh . . . you just said Bush took a big dump . . .
I'm a naturalized citizen and this just killed me on Huck.
College is a privledge not a right. Just because we allow children regardless of immigration status to attend schools and illegal immigrants access to emergency healthcare shouldn't imply that an illegal immigrant that's been in school three years with a C- average, who's "promised" to apply for citizenship should be granted a state scholarship before an underprivledged and hard-working student from across state lines with an A average who is a citizen.
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