The Economist and George Bush:):):):):):):):)...

The Economist is SMOKIN' this week, with some really exciting articles about conservativism in America and Britain:):):):):):)...and a really positive review for a book that Ala alerted me to called Freakonomics, by Michael Levitt:):):):):):)...

WHEW:):):):):):)...

The Economist SLAMS -- and I emphasize SLAMS -- President Bush's international policy in Iraq, North Korea, and Iran, and it's impact on the nuclear ambitions of the latter two of President Bush's designated axis of evil...

Return of the Axis of Evil

They not only point out the obvious -- that President Bush's policy vis a vis North Korea and Iran has MISERABLY FAILED:):):):):):):) (both have SIGNIFICANTLY STEPPED UP, rather than holding even or reduced, their nuclear ambitions...a SERIOUS concern for all of the world, they and I both very much believe)...

They give modest endorsement to the not wholly successful but much more successful efforts of the Europeans to keep some check on Iranian nuclear ambitions...effectively limiting Iranian development of weapons-grade uranium...

This is a BIG BLOW to the Bush Administration to be so SOUNDLY and RIGHTLY criticized by the most prestigious conservative magazine in the world for it's VERY SERIOUS international policy mistakes...

I'm quite sure that the President's mistatements -- to be quite generous about the issue -- in Riga and the Baltics, this weekend, could not have improved the confidence of the much smarter conservative editors of the Economist magazine with President Bush's leadership:):):):):):) (he did imply, after all, that one of the greatest conservative leaders in Britain's and the world's history, Winston Churchill, who was PRIMARILY responsible -- by everything I've read -- for negotiating the Yalta Agreement -- has, ESSENTIALLY, BETRAYED Eastern Europeans that, as Lord Conrad Black argues, rightly, in his Globe and Mail editorial on the subject, Britons and Americans and French and other allied soldiers had RISKED THEIR LIVES to save...though the policy cards were just not in their hands to protect them from the evil clutches of the Soviet Empire...

...and as the current American President disregarded the much superior reasoning, by my lights, of America's foremost conservative military leader, at the time, and later political leader -- and a much more sober and thoughtful man than the one currently in office, it would appear -- Dwight Eisenhower, that the numbers it would take to either engage in a limited attack in Eastern Europe or a more full-scare war on Russia itself -- and win overwhelmingly, to fully overcome Russian resistance -- would be FAR TOO HIGH to legitimately call such an exercise a liberation...it was for this VERY REASON that the phrase "Better Red than dead" became such a popular phrase in European circles at the time...and may have much to do with the much more serious comfort that Europeans feel with leftist politics (to the sad and manipulative benefit of far too many communist, socialist, and radical political organizations in Europe...especially France and Scandanavia...and less in Germany)...

But the Economist is DEFINITELY no home for Socialism or Communist sympathies in Europe...it is a wonderful and thankfully VERY INFLUENTIAL little oasis of free-trade and free-thinking committed conservatives committed to a world that is authentically safe as well as free...

And who can see a VERY SERIOUS problem in the active pursuit of nuclear weapons by governments who have demonstrated VERY LITTLE little to trust that, should they have them, that they would use them for any good purpose when they see it...

And who don't have any qualms at all SLAMMING -- for good goddamned reason, goddamnit...god knows it's not because of bad intentions...there are plenty of good intentions in the Bush Administration...but they are very quickly and publicly paving a path to hell for everyone in the world to take with them with their good intentions and it is TERRIBLY REFRESHING, I must say:):):):):):), to see a conservative publication take on their failures with such OPEN and DESERVED criticism:):):):):):):)...

Good for the Economist:):):):):):):)...

And equally living up to their reputations as more authentically fair and balanced than Bill O'Reilly or Fox News could ever dream of being in their wildest fantasies of being more thoughtful journalists...

The editors of the Economist submit a challenge to critics like me -- conservative and liberal -- of the Bush Administration's policy to come up with something better...

WAY FAIR ENOUGH...

And I and the Economist and the world will need to step up to this challenge to better reassure the world that North Korea and Iran will not do something crazy with a lot more serious weaponry...

So...

Here goes:):):):):):):)...

First...let's all just chill for a second, shall we?:):):):):):):)...

The Economist article makes one VERY IMPORTANT observation about North Korea that, in many ways, applies to Iran (and applied and may still apply to Iraq as well:):):)...though having a substantial proportion of a country welcome efforts to free them is SIGNIFICANTLY different that dealing with captive populations of people that may or may not be so friendly to U.S. or Western overtures:)...

The North Koreans TODAY "is capable of flattening South Korea's capital even without using the nuclear bombs it may already possess"...

Moreover...as a caution to the President -- who's remarks about Yalta and their implications for current American policy toward rogue states should make EVERYONE VERY NERVOUS:):):):):):):)...let's hope the President was just speaking off the cuff, here:):):):):)...and not trying to take America and the world with it down a VERY DARK AND DANGEROUS ROAD of rationalizing some pretty ugly tragedies to rationalize its own international policy failures -- the Economist editors also remark WISELY that "(A)s for North Korea...there is no military means of disarming it that does not look prohibitively dangerous."...

Meaning...Mr. President...if you are thinking about reversing the more peaceful efforts to disarm seriously dangerous Communist and other autocratic regimes like the Soviet Union and North Korea -- and scrapping almost 70 years of wisdom about such efforts by American, British, and other conservative and liberal and independent military and political history -- YOU BETTER HAVE ANOTHER THINK COMING...you are sounding AWFULLY GODDAMN DANGEROUS, these days, Mr. President...and you leave folks like me wondering whether to be scared shitless that you might be DUMB enough to engage in such a foolish and dangerous rationalization -- avoiding the BIG NEON SIGN on your Administration for all 5 years of its terribly overbearing presence -- THAT YOU ARE NOT NEARLY SOBER OR SMART OR THOUGHTFUL OR REFLECTIVE enough for this job that does seem TOO BIG FOR YOU FAR TOO MUCH OF THE TIME, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

Though...it is important to note...it is the job that YOU and ONLY YOU have, now, George...and so we all depend on you to lead us out of wilderness, Mr. President...

Because...at this moment, George...though many conservatives and liberals and all kinds of folks -- including and especially me -- would LOVE to fantasize and imagine that it could be otherwise...

We depend on you, George...completely...noone else can make these calls, Mr. President...except for you...which is WHY we're all so critical, Mr. President...because we care SO MUCH about the quality with which you do your job, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

And the one REALLY IMPORTANT silver lining in your remarks in Riga this weekend is...

That it is much more clear to me today than a week ago...

That it REALLY MATTERS to you to get history right:):):):):):):)...to take seriously INTELLIGENT perspectives on history:):):):):):):)...and to, hopefully, take seriously intelligent praise and criticism for your very important work, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

Which is good, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

Because -- for better or for worse, George:):):):):):):)...

You're the one with the job:):):):):):):):):):)...and NOTHING is going to change that for the next 3 years, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

And I for one am TOTALLY ROOTING for you to do an AMAZING JOB in the time you have left, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

You still have time for that, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

But it's going to take some doing...and you're going to have to do the REALLY TOUGH WORK here in the coming days and weeks, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

To face up to the very serious mistakes you've made on the international scene, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

My concern will likely give way to the better instincts that I think I more have on this one, Mr. President...

...that you're just kind of simple man trying your best to work through difficult and dangerous issues in the world...as a part of that effort, you sometimes stick big shoes in what can sometimes be an even bigger mouth:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)...

This is the more generous and accurate interpretation of your remarks, I think, W:):):):):):):)...and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt on this one, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

That though you've SOUNDED an awful lot like the new god-awful head of the Catholic Church these days, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

That you're not Pope Ratzinger:):):):):):):)...

That you're the President of the United States...

And that like Ike (who we all like:):):):):):):)...when push comes to shove...

You will step up into the gravity and sobriety of that role:):):):):):):)...

And that you will do the right...the better...the more thoughtful...the more sober...

And the FAR MORE DIFFICULT and CHALLENGING thing to do, George:):):)...

You'll own up on this one:)...

You'll -- very quietly, I imagine:):):)...at least for now:):):):):) -- begin to signal to the world that you will acknowledge that you're international policy is not going as well as you would have liked:):):):):):):)...that you may have VERY UNINTENTIONALLY and WITHOUT ANY MALICE IN THE LEAST, I don't believe, caused unnecessary death of American and international soldiers and aid workers, Iraqis, and others, that your concurrent policies toward North Korea and Iran have apparently SCARED THE SHIT out of some already very paranoid regimes...and had QUITE THE OPPOSITE effect than you intended:):):):):):):)...that you have, in some ways -- by pursuing Al Queda and talking honestly and working honestly to challenge international terrorism and by, haphazardly and with all kinds of VERY SERIOUS mistakes along the way:):):), removed the regime of a dangerous and bloody tyrant in Iraq:):):)...for which, though it has happened with far too many unnecessary costs and tragedies in the lives of Americans, Iraqis, and others, the world and Iraq should be grateful (with ALL KINDS OF VERY SERIOUS qualifications:):):):):):):)...

And...that you are sorry for the mistakes you've made:):):):):):):)...

And that we -- meaning the world that has to live with the consequences...bad AS WELL as good...of your policies, Mr. President:):):):):):) -- will not have to worry that you will use your criticisms of the Yalta agreement as a means of rationalizing a serious threat that you are willing to back up of nuclear or ground warfare in either North Korea or Iran...or anywhere else for that matter...at least for the time being and given similar circumstances:):):):):):):)...

And in the meantime, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

I would GLADLY and with a serious sense of HONOR, Mr. President, be willing to sit down:):):):):):):)...and have a beer or a coffee or a hot chocolate or a frappachino or an orange juice or a Coke or whatever the hell you drink these days, George:):):):):):):)...Ibut preferably a beer, if you're not too worried about drinking alcohol after struggling with alcoholism earlier in life, Mr. President:):):):):):):)... would LOVE to sit down with you, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...and commiserate with just how GODDAMNED DIFFICULT that the job that you signed up for twice really is, Mr. Bush:):):):):):):):)...

Seriously:):):):):):)...no bullshit...

No bullshit and really pretty lame and mean-spirited "I told you so's"...no lecturing you about what you should have done...or what you should not have done...or what you should do...or what you should not do:):):):):):):)...

And no bullshit or lame giving you all kinds of hell about how goddamned stubborn you've been on this one:):):):):):):)...despite ALL KINDS of evidence that this approach was not working:):):):):):):)...

None of that bullshit, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

If I'm confident that you really feel bad for how you've handled things:):):):):):):)...

Then you and I can sit down:):):)...and have a beer:):):):):)...maybe over a Rangers game:):):):):):):)...Bigandmean can locate a schedule for us:):):):):)...or maybe over a Royals game:):):):):):):)...

Or whatever you want to do, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

And we'll just talk...

About how hard it is to be President:):):)...about how INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT it is is make SUCH COMPLICATED and IMPORTANT and HIGH STAKES decisions in front of the WHOLE WORLD:):):)...warts and all:):):)...

And how, sometimes...we just make bad choices, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

We all do:):):)...

There is not some fairy-tale time when we STOP making bad choices, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

Bad choices are a part of learning how to make BETTER choices, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

In fact:):):):):)...as my hero and patron saint, Abraham Maslow, argues:):):):):):):)...

Making BAD CHOICES is the only way that we can know better how to make BETTER CHOICES:):):):):):):)...

Because it is the ONLY WAY that we can tell the difference, better, between the two:):):):):):):)...

So...in the BROADEST, BIGGEST, MOST INSIGHTFUL GRAND SCOPE OF THINGS, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

Though you did make some very serious mistakes that risked and probably cost the lives of MANY, MANY people...

They were just mistakes, Mr. President:)...

You did your best:)...

And sometimes our best just doesn't work out:):):)...

You're not a bad man IN THE LEAST, Mr. President:):):):):)...

To the contrary:):):)...you are a VERY GOOD MAN:):):):):):):)...

You are just a man...a person...LIKE ANY OTHER, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

You made mistakes in the course of doing your best like ANYONE ELSE, George:):):):):):):)...

And I, for one:):):), would be PROUD and HONORED to sit down at Jeffersons here in Lawrence:):):):):):):) (Peace, Love, and Hot Wings:):):):):):):)...one of my favorite little sports bars here in town, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

And you and I will just sit:):):)...and talk:):):):):)...and drink a beer:):):):):):):)...

And commiserate about just how GODDAMNED DIFFICULT that job of yours is, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

You're a very good man, George:):):):):):):)...

I'm convinced of that, for sure:):):):):):):)...

And now...you are getting prepared to be a MUCH BETTER AND MUCH BIGGER man, George:):):):):):):)...

And do what Brandi's Aunt Dory praised me for learning how to do so often and so readily earlier in my short little life, Mr. President:):):):):):):)....

You're going to say acknowledge:):):)...probably in smaller ways more than in bigger ways, right now:):):):):):):)...

That you were/are wrong, Mr. President:):):)...that you were/are sorry:):):):):):):)...and if you could do ANYTHING to bring back any one of those soldiers or aid workers or reporters or Iraqis lives back...you ABSOLUTELY WOULD:):):):):):):)...

And I know you would, George:)...you don't have to worry about that:):):)...

Just...sometimes:):):)...a more ideal world -- at least in the immediate moment:):):)...but not foreclosed for the near and not-so-distant future:):):):):):):) -- is not fully or even, too often, somewhat, within our grasp:(...

And that's ok, Mr. President...

Because we CAN'T be perfect, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

It's JUST NOT POSSIBLE:):):):):):):):):):):)...

And then we'll finish our beer:):):):):):):)...

And talk about the Rangers:):):):):)...and the Royals:):):):):):):)...and those Damn Yankees:):):):):):):)...

And about how great Toby Keith's most recent album was:):):):):):):)...and about how it's probably his best yet:):):):):):):)...and what's with that song about smoking marijuana with Willy Nelson?:):):):):):):)...and..."Oh, Mr. President:):):):):):):)"...I'll say:):):):):):):)..."...virtually ALL younger people:):):)...conservative or liberal:):):):):)...these days:):):)...smokes marijuana:):):):):):):)...no big woop:):):):):):):)...and don't worry, George:):):)...it ain't your fault:):):):):)...the sexy Mexi is just feels WAY TOO GOOD for most mere mortals to resist:):):):):):):)...

:):):):):):):)...

And then we'll bullshit about politics:):):)...about how important tort reform is:):):)...about your proud legacy of reintroducing faith discussions back into public service and into political discussions:):):):):):):)...about the well-intentioned but not-thoroughly-considered-enough proposals to limit political speech should be blocked not just because they disadvantage your Republican party most:):):):):):):)...but because blocking them is THE RIGHT TO DO for free speech and free thought everywhere:):):):):):):)...and about what an ASSHOLE Robert Byrd is:):):):):):):)...

"...and same goes for that Harry Reid:):):)...and that Nancy Pelosi:):):)," you'll say:):):):):)...

And I'll say:):):)...ok, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...to be fair, Mr. Reid IS blocking some REALLY AWFUL judges to the bench:):):)...but, you're right:):):)...he should probably just let an up or down vote go for them, George:):):):):):):)...and HOPEFULLY the worst of them will get the DOWN vote by thoughtful and serious Republicans and Democrats:):):):):):):)...

And John Bolton, Mr. President:):):)...

Are you sure you couldn't come up with someone better, Mr. President?:):):)...

Someone more along the lines of David Gergen:):):)...or David Brooks:):):)...or Andrew Sullivan:):):)...or even Condi Rice, who's social conservativism start to look almost like Colin Powell's moderate conservativism, in contrast?:):):):):):):)...

You sure, Mr. President that you can't find someone to fill a role as important and serious as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. who doesn't have a reputation of firing people who disagree with him on important policy matters?:):):):):):):)...I mean, surely you, Mr. President, of all people, would realize JUST HOW IMPORTANT it is to have people around you who disagree with you and challenge you to develop better ideas than the ones you already have:):):):):):):)...given that about 2/3 of your cabinet -- former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge being only the most recent:):):):):):):) -- has so OPENLY and HARSHLY:):):):):):):) -- criticized your Administration AFTER they left office:):):):):):):)...

(Apparently conservative popes and politicians believe their own bullshit, by the way, that liberals will NEVER AGAIN come to power and fire their lame little asses for being such pricks when conservatives had power:):):):):):):)...I CERTAINLY and SINCERELY hope they don't...and will be yelling to rafters, if they do...since it makes for such bad leadership, poor ideas, and poor form:):):)...but what in the fuck are conservatives thinking, for God's sakes?:):):):):):):)...you only want jobs when Republicans are in power, you fuckin' morons?:):):):):):):)...welp:):):)...here soon enough:):):):):)...you may get those:):):)...in statehouses all over the country:):):):):):):)...and, somehow, I have a feeling that A LOT of conservatives will rediscover their faith in federalism again:):):):):):):)...

Maybe go back to drawing board on that one, George:):):):):):):)...and if he gets past Congressional hurdles:):):):):)...then Godspeed to him:):):):):):):)...and hopefully he means it when he says he wants to criticize the United Nations to strengthen it:):):):):):):)...because that is something that we can ALL RALLY AROUND:):):):):):):) (though, if that means self-righteously defending poorly considered and crafted U.S. international policy under this Administration and all of the really scary consequences it has had for the world stage:):):):):):):):)...then John Bolton can FUCK OFF:):):):):):):)...and I'll support every limey British, French frog, and German kraut to tell you the same, too, in as many different languages from around our small little world as you need to get the fuckin' message:):):):):):):)...

Perhaps it might be better to just be the bigger person, on this one, George:):):)...put your tail between your legs:):):):):):):):)...

And:):):)...as Ann and Rud Turnbull have up in one of their offices at the Beech Center at the University of Kansas:):):):):):):)...

No matter how far you've gone down the wrong road:):):):):):):)...

Turn around:):):):):):):):):)...

Also, Mr. President:):):):):)...

You might check out two other REALLY EXCITING articles from the Economist this last issue, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

One is on the future of British Tories:):):)...that I have not read, but which looks REALLY good:):):):):):):)...and really relevant to discussions about the future of conservativism that I think are VERY RELEVANT to your own thinking, Mr. President:):):) (which, no matter what, you'll have a lot more time to work on much more substantially in 3 years or so, Mr. President:):):):):)...

And the other is on an article on an economics book that my friend Ala turned me onto, Freakonomics, by Michael Leavitt:):):):):):):)...it's gets a surprisingly good review from the pages of the Economist:):):) (with plenty of qualifiers:):):)...and looks like it is a wonderful little book of politically-incorrect theses and considerations of evidence by an up-and-comer out of the University of Chicago:):):):):):):)...the land of milk and honey for conservative economists, Mr. President:):):):):):):)...

The hypothesis that Ala and the Economist both mention at length is Michael's argument (with some evidence to support it) that falling crime rates most significantly correlate with the legalization of abortion:):):):):)...SURE to piss off an awful lot of folks on the right:):):):):)...which this books seems, largely, to be a product of:):):):):):):)...

Alright, everyone:):):):):):):):)...as much as I love listening to the crooning of Jack Johnson:):):):):):):):)...I've got to get some sleep:):):):):):):):):)...

Have a great night, everyone:):):):):):):)...

Say goodnight, Gracie:):):):):):):)...

Love,
Ben