Much of the anti-war movement seems to want to paint the Bush administration as out-of-control in its willingness to use military force overseas, and some of the wackier members even characterize the overthrow of the Hussein regime in Iraq as some sort of personal vendetta ("He tried to kill my daddy!"), unrelated to the war on terrorism. But in the days after September 11, Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz enunciated a clear strategy that he thought would be required to prevent a 9-11 from happening again. A strategy that extended beyond merely capturing the responsible parties and "bringing them to justice:"

"I think one has to say it's not just simply a matter of capturing people and holding them accountable, but removing the sanctuaries, removing the support systems, ending states who sponsor terrorism."

From the perspective of previous world wars, we are only a short way into this global war on terrorism (or, in my un-PC opinion, Islamic extremism), so it is probably a little early to gauge the overall success of this strategy.

But Libya's recent turnaround provides some preliminary support for the success of the strategy. Today's Dallas Morning News has a very forceful editorial connecting the dots between the takedown of Hussein and Libya's voluntary capitulation.

"Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi may be a madman, but he's no fool.

"He saw what happened to Saddam Hussein, and doesn't want to end up being dragged out of a spider hole by American soldiers. . . .

"European Commission chief Romano Prodi is hailing this a victory for
'discrete diplomacy and engagement.' Don't you believe it.

"Libya first reached out to the West in March, as American soldiers prepared to
shock and awe Saddam Hussein into collapse. Col. Gadhafi saw that when President George W. Bush said that nations were either for us or against us in the war on terror, and would be held accountable for their actions, he meant it.

"And note well that the Libyans did not approach France or Germany for help with the Americans, but Britain, the United States' staunchest ally. Col. Gadhafi knows which nations matter in the post-9-11 world.

"This development is first and foremost a ringing vindication of the Bush terror-fighting strategy, which depends on the use of force to back up diplomatic initiatives. When dealing with thugs like Col. Gadhafi, an able military and the
political will to employ it are the most useful tools of international relations. It's amazing how clarifying a few well-placed daisy cutters can be for Middle Eastern despots, and how persuasive the tender ministrations of the U.S. armed forces are to even the most obstinate potentate.

"Libya's stunning decision could prove a real intelligence coup for the United States, given that nation's role in funding international cutthroats and radical movements for decades. Additionally, the Libyan foreign minister is now saying that trade between his nation and the U.S. and Britain will improve.

"Washington and London now have a tremendous opportunity to show how no nation, no matter how outcast, is beyond rehabilitation if it will only turn from
its rogue ways. As we reward Libya for playing nice - and we should - let's not forget that what brought Col. Gadhafi around was not endless carrots offered by the European Commission, but a large stick swung hard by Mr. Bush." (emphasis added).

I think Libya remains on probation, but I am heartened by this development.

Posted by: JohnL at 12:21 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Glenn Reynolds mentions South Park Republicans again today.

I like South Park. I grok the Simpsons. I prefer the Canadian rock group Rush to the big fat idiot Rush. I've never been a big fan of Pat Boone (except for this) and do not belong or want to belong to a country club. I support gay marriage. I support the legalization of drugs. I support a woman's right to choose to have an abortion until the fetus exhibits a steady alpha-wave pattern on an EEG (the beginning of "brain life"). I am in favor of human cloning and stem cell research. I am opposed to most aspects of the PATRIOT act.

But I support very strongly the overseas war on terrorism. And I am opposed to any income taxes (one reason I live in Texas!) I would love to see the entire welfare state dismantled completely. I hope the Boomers choke on the "free" drugs they've decided to purchase with my (and my kids') money.

I should probably vote Libertarian. After all, based on the above, I am a "small-ell" libertarian. But I couldn't really be a "big-ell" Libertarian, as I prefer the Blue Man Group to blue man candidates and the other assorted nutballs that tend to run for office under the Libertarian Party banner. So how can I possibly vote? Usually, for the lesser of two evils. Which, for me, is usually the Republican candidate.

But I have to hold my nose when I do so. Thus, I propose a new term -- "clothespin" Republicans. For those of us who vote Republican, but put a clothespin on our nose when we punch the card.

What do you think?

Posted by: JohnL at 10:41 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Now this makes me soooo proud to be a Texan.

Good coverage of this particular case on Instapundit, Volokh, and Freespace. And be sure to check out the comments at Hit and Run, where I first learned of this particular bust.

Posted by: JohnL at 10:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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No, no, no, no. . . not that picture.

This one. (Inspired by Scrappleface).

Posted by: JohnL at 11:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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144 individual servings of it, to be exact.

(Thanks to The Eternal Golden Braid for the link).

To be fair, some of these line items appear innocent enough (say, #103, 105, or 144) but most are just complete oinkers.

Finagle forgive me for saying so, but where is Proxmire and his golden fleece when you need him?

Posted by: JohnL at 11:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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"When we grew up and went to school, there were certain teachers who would hurt the children anyway they could. . ."

I don't always agree with the ACLU, but am awfully glad they are around when they take on a case like this one.

Be sure to read the little boy's own account of what he did "wrong." He said "bad" words?????

You don't have to be a radical gay activist to see that what the Louisiana school did to this 7-year-old was simply wrong. This, speaking as a father of three, two of whom are old enough to have brought home "problem solving sheets" that look much like this one. Feh.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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In commenting on one of Rand Simberg's posts, I ran across this review of this book by Stephen Ambrose covering the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad(s). I'll have to get this, as it seems somewhat relevant in the current debate over what role, if any, government should play in opening the space frontier.

My wish list has grown long over the last year or two, but I'm hoping it will be a few items shorter after Christmas.

Posted by: JohnL at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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