Jeff
posted in General |JEFF
Jeff Jacoby is a columnist who writes for the Boston Globe. Recently he authored an article entitled, “Everyone got it wrong before 9-11″. It is an article well worth reading. While it is a bit long to repeat the entire text here, the last 3 paragraphs summarize his thoughts very well.
“Prior to 9-11, no president from Jimmy Carter through Geroge W. Bush properly understood the danger of Islamist terrorism. None recognized that we were under attack by a ruthless enemy bent on global conquest and the destruction of Western liberty.
Far more important is what has happened since 9-11: The Bush administration went to war. It destroyed Al Qaida's base in Afghanistan, toppled Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, turned Pakistan into a terror-war ally, and intimidated Libya into ending its hunt for nuclear weapons. Crucially, it has demolished the perception of America as — in Bin Ladin's words — a 'weak horse' that bolts at the first gunshot.
How you regard that peformance – as invaluable wartime leadership by the President or as a fraud “made up in Texas' – is likely to decide how you vote this November”.
We no doubt will have to suffer through months of campaign rhetoric between now and November, but I think Mr Jacoby has hit the nail on the head. Too bad it can't be required reading at the polls.
Mr Jacoby's Email address is Jacoby@globe.com.