Post Election Depression

Ann Althouse confesses to being depressed over the election, particularly because of the message it sends our enemies.

But this election was not about the people rejecting a government that would defend us. It was about rejecting a government because it perceived it wasn't doing enough.

What I'm concerned about is national security and, consequently, the way the election was fought and is being interpreted. I'm upset because I think we have sent a terrible message to our enemies: Just hang on long enough and continue to inflict some damage, and the Americans will lose heart and give up. You barely need anything at all. You might not be able to hijack a plane with a box cutter anymore, but you can take back a country -- a country we conquered with overwhelming military power -- merely by mercilessly and endlessly setting off small bombs in your own town day after day.

That's the conventional wisdom and it is difficult to shake off. But is it true?

Not really.

In the past six years America fought two wars. We effectively crushed the Taliban in Afghanistan, something we were told wasn't going to happen - and we did it in about three weeks. You'll recall, that's the same force that drove Russia out after however many years.

We did the same thing to Iraq, though, absolutely the occupation was mishandled, to put it mildly.

After those actual wars, this country couldn't display enough American flags and Americans of nearly every stripe felt a profound sense of patriotism, mostly fueled by those victories.

Our enemies will grab the headlines with their posturing, no doubt. But America not only has the will to use its military to wage war; we have the capability to do it more effectively than any other nation in the world. We've now done it twice. And the American people supported it because it was done the American way.

America isn't a pacifist country and Americans are not afraid of war. But when your country is an incredible super power, is it really wrong for people to lose patience when they see that power not being used, particularly while young men and women are dying in the field? Actually, that sounds pretty intelligent to me.

The Iraq War isn't the problem, this election was about winning verses losing and had nothing to do with not fighting at all. If the Democrats misinterpret that, woe unto them and their political future. It's still a dangerous world.

The GWOT is not going to demand that we occupy great swaths of land. That's primarily why Rumsfeld was re-designing the military - for that very challenge. And I don't see that being reversed.

America will be fine so long as we elect Presidents who appreciate American might, ones that aren't afraid to use it when necessary in our own defense, or preservation. This election is just a step on the road to 2008.

Liberals always seem to make the mistake of looking behind. It's best we don't do too much of that right now, except for the type of introspection which can help us to determine the right path going forward.

Ann is right, our enemies are not going to stop coming after us and they may feel somewhat emboldened. But only because they've conveniently lost sight of the fact that America isn't really afraid of fighting, she just prefers to win quickly - and she's proven that she can.

And as for the GWOT and our adversaries in small groups spread throughout the world, this election hasn't changed anything. Every poll has shown that Americans in great numbers support the types of surveillance and interrogation techniques America needs to win the battle against terrorism. If Democrats want to tinker with it, they do so at their own peril, not ours.

Comments

[salvage]

>We effectively crushed the Taliban in Afghanistan,

Um so how come they are still killing NATO soliders?

[larry]

perhaps the most relevant comment on the election comes from afar: "iran's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei on friday called U.S. president george w. bush's defeat in congressional elections a victory for iran." as did, of course, the corrupt kleptocrats of the UN.

and, before you halfwit moonbats start squealing about far-right lunatic fox news, bear in mind that this was reported by reuters, a news organization not currently known for being pro-american; or politically conservative.

to make this all just too perfectly pathetic/ironic for words, the congressional dems have brought in ignorant old lefty george mcgovern to advise them as to the proper mechanics of 'cut-n-run'. (it seems they kept poor records of the democrat-engineered vietnam c-n-r.) scumocrats: the preferred party of homicidal islamic maniacs and genocid-enablers.

*sigh* MAN, it's gonna be a distasteful 2 years.

[Donna]

I think its really funny...the democrats have been sitting on the sideline's and harping about how they are going to bring home the troops blah blah blah..and end the war in Iraq, by next year, IF they get elected.

Well now they are in the driver's seat, they have control...

They have to put up or shut up..and IF they don't, after many many many many promises that is exactly what they are going to do, then their victory here in 2006, will end in 2008.

[yyy]

I'm not sure legally how the Democrats exactly could force the Commander in Chief of the armed forces to bring the troops home if he didn't want to since as I remember Iraq is a legally declared war, but I might be wrong.

The Democrats are now in a position to force some accountabilitly for the Iraq debacle and they have a LOT of leverage to get the president to develop a strategy, including an exit or timetable for getting our troops out.

I also don't think the Dems were elected to bring the troops home but to get something done beyond the inanity of 'stay the course' until your head hits the iceberg right on the nose.

It amazes me how dumb most people are, no wonder the Republicans lies, smears, corrpution, incompetance, flagrant spending and general pisspoor performance went unnoticed and still goes unnoticed by so many.

All you gotta do is wave a flag and say if them moombat dems will then the terrorists win, and oh yeah, keep the fags down and put the baby killer abortionists in jail...

Sometimes it is truly embarassing to be an American.

[jaime]

Wow. It all comes out after getting your asses kicked. The right wing is just a bunch of whiny pussies. Why do you people care what our enemies have to say about our elections? What a bunch of cowards. Well, seeing as most of the right wing noise machine is comprised of draft dodgers, elitist think tank eggheads, and overgrown frat boys, it shouldn't surprised anyone what weak kneed babies they are.

[larry]

always funny to see a pencilneck liberal try & act tough, and call their betters "pussies". never mind it's sort of like watching a little boy trying to act manly. what amusing irony! it just never gets old.

one thing i noticed the pussy....er, "liberal" did NOT do was to comment intelligently on the fast that a sworn enemy of this country is happy with the election results. and praised the pussies..., er, "scumocrats". why is that, i wonder? too busy flexing his/her muscles in the mirror, making fierce faces?

[jaime]

Peacnik? What fucking era are you living in flattop?
Say, Why aren't you in Iraq tough guy?

Waaaa! Al Qaeda is mean. Waaaa! Democracy sucks when we lose! Waaaa!

America doesn't want you, what you believe, or what you peddle, and collectively kicked ya where the good lord split ya. Crawl back under your rock you loser.

[BCMG]

jaime - you are a pussy - flat out. Aren't you the one who stalked Sen. Allen and then cried when you got thrown out? "Ouch!!Did you see that? Did you get that with my little digital camera that mom bought me? He hurt me! Whaaaaaaaaa!" You may as well be if you weren't. And who got his tender feelings hurt when called "Macaca" when that's not even a word? "He called me Macaca! whaaaa!" You're the very people who've made any word that hurts your tender feelings a "hate crime" for Chrissakes! And who was crying to anyone who would listen about voter fraud, intimidation, bad Diebold machines? Not us. We're NOT crying. Our candidates conceded LIKE MEN not 5-year old girls asking for recount after recount. The very reason that you ARE a liberal is BECAUSE you're a pussy. Your whole aim in life is to avoid anything difficult - like work, or standing up for your country or doing anything honorable because you most likely never did anything like play a sport. Drama isn't a sport, dude. Neither is cutting yourself.
If you like, I'll introduce you to 3 of my friends who've all been to Iraq and 2 more who are in the Navy. They are all conservative and I guarantee they could kick your ass. Hell, I'm pretty confident that I could kick your ass and I'm a 112 lb woman. They just wouldn't waste their time on a nothing like you.

[WWU]

Ummm....

If you knew friends and family of soldiers who have been killed by the Taliban over the past two years you might be a bit more cautious about boasting of having "kicked" any "ass."

Just as an aside, too....

The Taliban didn't even exist during the Soviet occupation. Perhaps the most effective anti-Soviet group of guerrillas was, in fact, led by future anti-Taliban Tajik leader Ahmed Massoud, coincidentally killed by the Taliban-Al Qaeda alliance on the eve of 9/11.

[yyy]

I feel VERY safe in saying that probably the entire rest of the world is jumping for joy in the hopes that the election means the U.S. is no longer going to behave like a drunken bi-polar gorilla busting in and trashing everything in sight when it comes to foreign policy.

I realize that you people are brutally stupid, cowardly morons but the only "benefit" that Al Quada is going to get from this election is the ability to mock Bush, which is exactly what they allegedly have done, same with Rummy, and for my money they both deserve more than a good video taunting.

Republican and honorable should never be used in the same sentence, they are like oil and water, the two cannot coincide, at least the new, tough version of Republican that just got their asses booted out of office and would have lost EVEN MORE SEATS if not for their probably illegal gerrymandering of the House districts over the last 10 years, and yes, I know the D's did it too when they had the chance.

[Trouble]

It's true. Our enemy won this battle. They expect the Democrats to appease them now. And, unfortunately, the violence will be kicked up to a new level until the Democrats appease them.

[larry]

aaaaah, this is nice. the scumocrat pussies TRY to spin away the inconvenient facts about america's enemies celebrating a dem congress....but then that irresistable old feeling comes creeping back, their eyes glaze over, and they blurt out the truth: they're GLAD iran's happy about them winning. (cue breathless mincing voice) "it just PROVES that the gop was mean and just AWFUL!"

remember the scene in 'braveheart' where king edward tries to figure out who to send to talk to his enemies, the scots? "i can't send my son", he muses, contempt dripping from his voice, "they'd take one look at him and march for london that very day. and then it might be MY head in a basket!" and so, rather than send his son - known to be a deviant, and believed to be the model for the modern scumocrat party's foreign policy - he sends in a woman. surmising correctly that soft and feminine as she was, she was still many times more formidable and worthy of respect than his son, the cowardly deviant.

just substitute "democrat" for "edward's son", and you have the perfect analogy. when america's enemies celebrate a democrat congress, it's not really an endorsement for the dems. perhaps someday they'll figure this out, but i doubt it.

[Nahanni]

jaime:

Despite what you think the LLL Democratic leadership received no mandate. The freshmen Democratic senators/congresscritters by and large are much to the right of the Democratic leadership. Many are pro gun, pro military, anti illegal immigration and anti cut and run. Nancy and Harry are going to have a very difficult time getting these people to support their (and your) LLL agenda.

But there is hope for you, hun!

Ol' Charley Rangel is now in a position to get his universal draft bill through congress. That means if you are male or female, ages 18-42 you can be drafted. There will be very few deferrments this time around and if you decide you do not want to serve and run there will be no amnesty for you.

Enjoy!