by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 23, 2005
All Rights Reserved.

omparing himself to former President Ronald W. Reagan, President George W. Bush dedicated a new pavilion featuring Airforce One at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi, Valley, Calif., about 40 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Instead of using the occasion to venerate the popular late president, Bush linked the great post-WWII struggle against Soviet communism to his war on terror, begun as retaliation against the Taliban for supporting Osama bin Laden but now bogged down in Iraq. There's no comparison between the Cold War and today's war in Iraq, costing nearly 2,000 lives, 15,000 serious injuries, over $350 billion—the most costly nation-building project in the nation's history. “Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is doomed to fail,” said Bush, confusing the Iraq War to war against terrorists responsible for Sept. 11.

      Just as he did leading up to the war, Bush continues to connect Iraq to the tragedy of Sept. 11. Foreign terrorists, some loosely associated with Bin Laden, now join insurgents fighting U.S. occupation in Iraq. Before the U.S. invasion March 20, 2005, Iraq was not the world's breeding ground for what Bush now calls Islamo-fascism, a pop culture term borrowed from Rush Limbaugh. Bush calls Iraq “the central front in the war on terror,” using 149,000 U.S. troops as bait for Islamic extremists. He turned Saddam's brutal, authoritarian—but secular—regime into anarchy and tribal warfare, unleashing centuries old rivalries and hatred, only contained by cruel repression. Bush now has an endless mess costing the U.S. treasury untold billions and needlessly sacrificing American lives. While he tries to create a workable democracy in Iraq, U.S. troops and the country's prestige take a beating.

      Toppling the Taliban and going after Al Qaeda was a good thing after 9/11. World opinion was on the U.S. side, relentlessly pursuing terrorists and rogue states responsible for Sept. 11. New evidence now surfacing from the Plamegate affair—where White House dirty tricksters exposed former Iraq ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV's wife as a covert CIA operative in retaliation for his criticism of Bush in the New York Times—indicates prewar intelligence about Saddam's weapons of mass destruction was grossly exaggerated. Saddam's nuclear, biologic and chemical threat was hyped to justify going to war. Even New York Times executive editor Bill Keller now admits that he gave veteran reporter Judith Miller—at the center of Plamegate—too much slack to write front-page stories hyping Saddam's WMD. Her primary source was Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby.

      Exploiting the chance to score points on Iraq, Bush sold himself as the new “Cold Warrior,” fighting the nation's latest threat to democracy. In reality, the war on terror, supposedly going after perpetrators of Sept. 11 and other acts of terrorism against the U.S., is now bogged down in Iraq, bleeding the treasury and American lives. “We will prevail in the war on terror because this generation is determined to meet the test of our time,” said Bush. “We understand our duty; we understand our responsibility to the American people,” placing the Iraq war in the same context the nation's 45-year struggle against Soviet expansionism, referred to as “The Truman Doctrine,” after former president Harry S. Truman. Yes, Bush has a responsibility to the American people, especially protecting the lives of U.S. troops, managing domestic priorities and wisely spending taxpayers' money.

      Five years into his presidency, Reagan enjoyed a 63% approval rating, rewarded for solid leadership both home and abroad. Whether he confronted Soviet communism or dictatorships in Grenada or Panama, Reagan safeguarded the national treasury and kept American troops out of harm's way. There's a difference between speech-making and commanding U.S. forces into combat. Reagan kept up the rhetorical pressure, believing communism was an aberration doomed to failure. When the “evil empire” collapsed in 1989 and the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, Reagan's prophecy came true, without firing a single shot. Bush's Iraq War has proved most costly, especially for his approval ratings now sinking to 38%. Comparing himself to Reagan and the war on terror to the Cold War insults generations of patriots fighting the fierce social and economic battle to advance American interests.

      Reagan won the Cold War not by bogging U.S. forces down in an unwinable situation. He prevailed because he patiently waited for the Soviet Union to collapse under its own weight. Reagan, himself, didn't take any credit for winning the Cold War, only for speaking on the right side of history. Bush's detour in Iraq took the focus off the war on Islamic terrorists responsible for Sept. 11. No matter how Bush stretches the comparison to the Cold War, Iraqis didn't cause 9/11 or the string of terrorist assaults on U.S. interests. “There will be tough moments ahead on the path to victory. Yet we have confidence in the cause because we have seen America face down brutal enemies before,” said Bush, committing the U.S. treasury and armed forces to perpetual warfare. Reagan talked about “a shining city on a hill,” not untenable military adventures destined for failure.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

©1999-2005 Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.
(310) 204-8300
All Rights Reserved.