A Disgruntled American
I, like many other Americans, am offended by Bush’s comments yesterday in Israel. I’m sure if you’re reading this, you already know what he’s said so there’s really no need for me to copy them again. I was reading responses all over the web and watching political commentary on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox. Opinion was mostly split down party affiliations. But honestly this shouldn’t be an issue of partisan politics like taxes or gun control. It’s about being diplomatic and non-confrontational. Just because we disagree with someone doesn’t mean you go and bomb the hell out of their home or threaten them with your gang. It’s these type of mendacious and presumptuous statements that cause enemies to further their malicious agendas, cause our allies to back away from us and some friends to question their support, and even cause war.
The best commentary I have read thus far comes from Will Bunch of Philadelphia Daily News. Some lines that stood out:
But what Bush did in Israel this morning goes well beyond the accepted confines of American political debate. When the president speaks to a foreign parliament on behalf of our country, his message needs to be clear and unambiguous. Our democracy may look messy to outsiders…but at the end of the day we are not Republicans or Democrats or liberals or conservatives.
We are Americans.
Exactly. It’s like when a husband and wife fight, they each tell their close friends about the fight in an attempt to win them over for support. But really, the friends don’t want to get involved as it isn’t their place. Oh, and to the man who stopped golfing to honor the mothers of those brave soldiers who died in the war:
To use a diplomatic setting on foreign soil to score a cheap political point at home is way beneath your office, way beneath your country, and way beneath the people you serve.
The whole spiel is worth a read.