Bush and War Politics - Reprise

Yesterday, President Bush finally put forward the view that the US is engaged in an ideological struggle akin to similar struggles of the 20th century against Nazism and Fascism. He also began to prepare the American people for a very long war ahead, requiring sacrifice.

The Verdict Is In commented on this very topic earlier in the month. The following post was originally published on August 19, 2006.


President Bush is not viewing the Iraq conflict in the proper context. The fact that he is frustrated that the Shia leadership and the Iraqi people are not publicly more appreciative of the US role is beside the point. As President Bush has said, we are at war with Islamo-Fascism. The Iraq conflict is just one of many battles in what will be a long protracted war.

President Bush has allowed the political opposition in the US to define his Presidency by the Iraq battle, and thus he is spending too much time worrying about whether he is appreciated or not. He needs to refocus attention on the more general and relevant fact that we are at war with Islamo-Fascists, and that should be the defining element of his Presidency. In that broader context, it matters not whether the US is loved in Iraq. What matters is whether the President has done enough to mobilize his country, militarily, culturally, economically, sociologically, etc. for this long difficult war.

The primary battle-fronts may today be in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they will surely be in many other places in years to come, and preparing the nation for the long war is what the President needs to focus his political efforts on.