Friday, January 28, 2005

Great Expectations: What is this brouhaha about Bush's inauguration address? It was a great speech that fits perfectly with his presidency.

Bush simply said that every country deserves the benefits of freedom and democracy, and that it's the job of the United States to support liberty and stand against tyranny, not just out of sheer goodwill but also to maintain our own security. He did not say we could rid the world of tyranny during the next legislative term. He did not say we would accomplish this by the end of his presidency. He did not even say we would accomplish this in our lifetime.

For some reason, Bush is being criticized for daring to have vision. Critics want to know when the invasion of China will begin, since that country doesn't share our love for democracy. This is ridiculous, especially considering most of these same critics are the ones who condemned the invasion of Iraq. Bush doesn't pretend to believe that we can overthrow all tyrants. He is limiting himself to what he believes is smart policy. Yet, Bush has also done more to depose tyranny than most other presidents, having liberated two countries and continuing to put pressure on others in the Middle East.

Of course I'd like for him to do more, what with Syria and Iran interfering in Iraq, and Russia heading the wrong direction.

But we've already had one historic election in Afghanistan, and we're about to have another in Iraq. There are still plenty of problems to overcome, especially in Iraq. But that's what is so important about Bush's speech, explicitly stating that we won't back down and will fight to overcome those problems. President Bush is transforming the world, and I believe we will all benefit in the end.