Tuesday, May 11, 2004
GEORGE WILL JUMPS THE SHARK
I have not been able to find an online version yet but conservative columnist George Will has apparently written a devastating attack on Donald Rumsfeld and - in the spirit of Paul on the road to Damascus- the entire Iraq policy. The money quote:
"So, forgive the lawyer’s language. But note what it betokens: a flinching from facts. Americans must not flinch from absorbing the photographs of what some Americans did in that prison. And they should not flinch from this fact: ¶
That pornography is, almost inevitably, part of what empire looks like. It does not always look like that, and does not only look like that. But empire is always about domination. Domination for self defense, perhaps. Domination for the good of the dominated, arguably. But domination. ¶
And some persons will be corrupted by dominating. That is why the leaders of empires must be watchful. Very watchful. ¶
Donald Rumsfeld is clearly shattered by the corruption he tardily comprehended.
I don't disagree with Will's revulsion regarding Abu Ghraib, simply his opportunism. Will radiates a palpable desire to return to his 1980's role of king among conservative pundits by giving the administration a devastating shot while the nation's will to pursue the war hangs in the balance. Pat Buchanan may have become an antisemitic crank but his longstanding opposition to the war is certainly pure of any taint of careerism.
If things in Iraq were going swimmingly we would see Will not in the role of critic of Bush but as his courtier.
Hat tip to Geitner for this gem.
UPDATE
The column is available today online. ¶ 8:30 AM
I have not been able to find an online version yet but conservative columnist George Will has apparently written a devastating attack on Donald Rumsfeld and - in the spirit of Paul on the road to Damascus- the entire Iraq policy. The money quote:
"So, forgive the lawyer’s language. But note what it betokens: a flinching from facts. Americans must not flinch from absorbing the photographs of what some Americans did in that prison. And they should not flinch from this fact: ¶
That pornography is, almost inevitably, part of what empire looks like. It does not always look like that, and does not only look like that. But empire is always about domination. Domination for self defense, perhaps. Domination for the good of the dominated, arguably. But domination. ¶
And some persons will be corrupted by dominating. That is why the leaders of empires must be watchful. Very watchful. ¶
Donald Rumsfeld is clearly shattered by the corruption he tardily comprehended.
I don't disagree with Will's revulsion regarding Abu Ghraib, simply his opportunism. Will radiates a palpable desire to return to his 1980's role of king among conservative pundits by giving the administration a devastating shot while the nation's will to pursue the war hangs in the balance. Pat Buchanan may have become an antisemitic crank but his longstanding opposition to the war is certainly pure of any taint of careerism.
If things in Iraq were going swimmingly we would see Will not in the role of critic of Bush but as his courtier.
Hat tip to Geitner for this gem.
UPDATE
The column is available today online. ¶ 8:30 AM
