April 08, 2003

The Long and Short of It

Okay, that does it. I am sick and tired of reading -- everywhere -- BS from anti-war people along the lines of "Americans won't accept a war on terrorism if it looks like it will be long and casualty-heavy, because they were promised a short, easy war with no more dead Americans, and Feeble Fickle Fack Vietnam! Vietnam!" Here, puppies, is the original presidential speech right after the World Trade Center was attacked and destroyed, along with the lives of thousands of Americans and foreigners living and working here. And here is the money quote, which I will make LARGE so you all can see it:

"Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."

Clear enough? I'm only sorry that I can't make a looping file of that part of the recorded speech to play over and over when people come to my site, because the ram file no longer seems to be archived here.

(Inspired by this post on Dean Esmay's blog.)

Posted by Andrea Harris at April 8, 2003 02:08 AM
Comments

Andrea, I hope you're not letting these clowns get you genuinely exercised. At this time and on this subject there are only three classes of people:
-- Those who understand the necessity of the anti-terror campaign, and want to see it prosecuted to a successful conclusion for the good of the whole world;
-- Those who oppose the anti-terror campaign because it defends something they literally hate (America);
-- Those who have absolutely no interest in anything that doesn't touch their lives directly.

There's no need to preach to the already converted, and no use in appealing to your blood enemies. The third group? It will be impossible to reach them unless a horrible chance intrudes upon their apathy with a personal tragedy, for instance the loss of a loved one to a terrorist act. So we might as well just spit on our hands and get the job done -- and I am pleased to see that the Bush Administration has done pretty much exactly that.

We're not entirely united. We have to endure a noisy, irritating minority that appears deaf to all sense. But I hope you're not allowing your blood pressure to get elevated by arguing with people who cannot, in the nature of things, be persuaded to see reason.

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at April 8, 2003 at 08:14 AM

Not me. I'm not upset. I plan to just send the URL of this post to people who start that crap. I put it up there for me as much as anything. Anyway, it's all very well to say that we can't reach certain people, but at the very least we can make sure this one lie ("we were promised a short and painless war!") doesn't become the accepted version of the truth. At least, I'm not going to let that happen without a fight.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at April 8, 2003 at 11:39 AM