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December 19, 2008
Alea jacta est
Jeremy Brecher and Brendan Smith wonder if President Bush and those who served at his discretion will enjoy their retirement or "be haunted by the fear that they will be held accountable for war crimes." Commenting at Rantburg, P2k on holiday warns the left against the temptation to abuse their power and stage Congressional drumhead trials.
Correct. Though it is worth pointing out the wasted years of the Clinton administration - and his failure to act decisively against the jihadis - are the fault not only of the man's character and convictions but of a foreign policy read exclusively through the lens of fatuous impeachment proceedings. It was not only the hard left accusing President Clinton of "wagging the dog" with cruise missiles in Africa and Afghanistan as a distraction from his political troubles. I can think of numerous conservative figures of the 1990s who railed against Clinton's marital infidelity and his careful parsing of words when confronted about his sex life by a special prosecutor. I cannot think of any who warned against mass terror attacks, Islamic extremism or the dangers of American dependence on Saudi oil. The paleocon line was that America had no strategic interest in the Sudan, Somalia, Serbia or Afghanistan but that America had an existential interest in Clinton's sex life.
If the Democrats want to waste everyone's time with bread and circuses they have no further than their Republican predecessors for a precedent. Not that this line of reasoning cuts any ice with partisans. "Clinton lied under oath!" And if so, so what? I cannot imagine the future Caliph of the United States will fret about public opinion let alone Protestant expectations of personal or professional rectitude. The interns will all wear bin bags in public even as the Capitol becomes a temple of rape.
But, you know, priorities.
Posted by Ghost of a flea at December 19, 2008 07:21 AM
Comments
Oooo! Oooo! Pick me! Pick me!
I wasn't keen on Bosnia and Kosovo - oddly enough, for many of the same reasons I wasn't keen on Iraq...
And I wasn't about going after Clinton for his tryst with Monica, though I was rather offended by Bennet's floating, as a defense against the Bimbo Eruptions, that Clinton, as Commander-in-Chief, should enjoy the protections of the Soldier's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act.
I observed if he wanted to play the game that way, then surely he must be subject to the UCMJ provisions regarding sex in the chain of command.
But that was my only bugling on that subject.
But, since I've only been blogging since 2003, you'll just have to take my word on it...
8^ D
Posted by: John of Argghhh! ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.ghostofaflea.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 19, 2008 04:00 PM
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