Comment by Forrest on When None Dare Urge Restraint · 2007-12-09T14:44:26.000Z · LW · GW

I think this is the first blog post I have read in years that contains ONLY civil and intelligent response. It makes me hopeful!

Almost all of our responses to 9/11 seem irrational, most of them ineffective. It seems to me that fear informed almost all choices, whether it was fear from the 'terrorists', or fear from domestic political reactions. America became fearful of gels, liquids, underwire bras, breastmilk on airplanes, pocket knives, tshirt slogans, and remarkably, the disapproving eyes our our fellow citizens... we don't want to look unpatriotic or unsupportive of our troops. ALl this permitted unchecked action on the part of incompetent leaders and has left us in a very tenuous position regarding the viability of our democracy. We've begun to adopt memes that sacrificing the highest qualities of our civilization is permissible if we gain a scintilla of incremental safety.

I am in great despair regarding what WE have done and sad beyond measure for what we have done to the world and its hopes for a better future. We're now as bad as the worst of the lot.

A true leader... a true good man... a true christian would have salvaged something worthwhile from this disaster. Sadly, Bush is none of the above, and like a school yard bully egged on by his even more cowardly cohort, the damage he has done accrues to everyone... victim, bully, enablers, society. He has shown why we must insist on intellect, morality, engagement, and creativity in our next leader.