If Barack Obama wins the U.S. presidential election, as seems probable, Harper will be left as the only surviving conservative head of government in the English-speaking world. The non-English-speaking world is not much more congenial: In Germany, a very slightly conservative party governs in coalition with Social Democrats. And in France, Nicholas Sarkozy is veering further and further left with every drop in the stock market indexes...
After the defeat impending in November, however, Republicans seem fated to recoil upon a thin inventory of purist rhetoric and antiquated policy ideas. Such a reaction could lock U.S. conservatives out of government for years to come -- and impoverish the thinking of centre-right movements worldwide.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
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16 comments:
Some poll last week listed the banks in Canada as the most stable in the world. It was an NPR report, and I'm too lazy to look for a source right now.
Yes, I read about that. Sounds about right. Just stay away from Icelandic banks.
If Canuckia is "Our Last, Best Hope", then the Laplanders are Europe's?
Fokken Vorld.
Surprise, surprise.
I'm shocked, shocked. Wow, who could have seen this comin'? A force for appeasement, defeatism, and government control, who parlayed a mixed race chameleon's card, strong foreign connections, and club membership in institutions DC approves of, into a powerful political position that was able to achieve, among other wonders, the Saving of Hussein' 91, comin' out for The One?
Stunned, FCP is, stunned.
Yes, Powell understands his Saudirian Candidate
In the what-if category, I will always hold that fateful moment, back in 1991, when Powell convinced Papa Bush to stop in our tracks on the highway to Baghdad. If we'd finished the job back then, instead of saving it for another day, how would things look now?
That was Powell's fault, AI?
Wasn't Schwarzkopf's fault, for sure. Let's say it was Papa Bush, Powell, and Scowcroft. Anyone else I forget about?
It pretty much seemed to be a joint decision of Powell and Scowcroft. Bush Ok'd, and it was pushed down Schwarzkopf's throat. Which makes sense. It was, after all, a political decision. And Schwarzkopf's authority was strictly limited to the conduct of the military campaign--not it's goals.
The "Realists" [folks like Powell, Baker, Scowcroft], Bush Pere, and the House of Saud. The gift that keeps on giving.
Condi? I always thought Scowcroft was the weaselly realist in charge there. Could be that flute of VCP with the butchers of Tiananmen that makes me blame him for everything else too though.
Two advanced degrees from Columbia can undo one from West Point, I guess.
Ike is turning over in his grave.
More on Scowcroft: Explaining in 1998 why they didn't go on to Baghdad in 1991: "Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land."
Scowcroft is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons.
AI, is this a GUT?
Pretty much, pretty much. And yes, Condi was Scowcroft's protege, but without looking it up, I think she still was at Stanford at the time, came to DC later.
Can a rogues' gallery be full of incompetents?
Powell is fucking flipping us off in the picture, too.
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