Half of the Brain :
the place all those random thoughts that flit through my head each day go to die

Progress?

Barely a month ago we were one-week into the war and now.... now it all seems back to business as usual. In fact, wasn't the President's speech last night supposed to signify a shift in national focus. Major hostilities in Iraq are over, there's rebuilding to be done, but don't fret about the fact that we're in the midst of the single most important historical moment since World War 2. Don't think about the notion that what happens now in the middle east has more potential to redefine the world order than the break-up of the Soviet Union ever did. Don't worry about any of that, because now the American People can now go back to doing what they do best... worrying about the American people.

You think it's a coincidence that the democratic 2004 contenders have found the spotlight this week? I don't. I have no idea if GW will be a two-termer. Well, honestly, I do have an idea. I rather think he won't and that scares me. . . not becuase I think GW is the best president we've ever had. Although to digress for just a moment... I *do* think his legacy will be that he's brought a certain amout of that presidential mystique back to the presidency. I've heard ex-white house staffer after ex-white house staffer parade through NPR's morning shows and make remarks along the lines of ... "I can't say I mind that I'm not working for this President, but man... I sure do wish I could work in this White House."

And I think that's important. I think it's important for the American leadership and the American People to find themselves a little bit in "shock and awe" at the spectre of the white house and the office of the Presidency. It's a grand thing. And I think it's a travesty to let one man define it. People who are drawn to serious politics and political office are at core an idealistic people-- they're drawn by this sense of something larger, something outside themselves and all of the serious politicians (not the dilletants or the spotlight seekers) have an understanding and respect for the political tradition they find themselves in the midst of... even if their number 1 political agenda is to turn that tradition on it's ear. And I think that's important.

Back to why it scares me that GW might be a one termer-- it's that the Democrats as a party can't find a foreign policy with two hands. And what's worse...I think they've given up trying. I think somewhere along the line party leadership (most likely subconsciously) decided this isn't what we're good at so let's put our energy into what we are good at.

I know that 9-11 completely changed the political landscape and "untied" a lot of diplomatic hands and in a sense made the middle-east tightrope a little bit wider as we were now all willing to talk about the big white elephant in the corner of the room, but it's the "what could have been" that makes me wonder. Let me say this out front: I like Al Gore. I didn't vote for him, (more for systemic problems I see within the party) But I like him.

What could have been... Could Al Gore have handled the situation we're about to find ourselves in on the Korean peninsula? With Bosnia and Somalia as his experiential backdrop and the democratic foreign policy tradition dictating decisions, I have my doubts. I guess part of my reticence is that I'm not confident that anyone in party leadership actually learned any lessons from what when wrong in Bosnia and what went even "wronger" in Somalia. Admittedly, I'm not comfortable with the direction our foreign policy has gone recently and I think we're on the brink of some dangerous precipices that I can only hope those in positions of power will acknowledge before they irrevocably change doctrine, but then I stop and think of what could have been.... and man, I do think it could have been worse.

So, I guess until we really are ready to make some progress (and who knows maybe I won't see that day in my lifetime). I'll have to content myself with the "what could have beens" I feel like the Ascars on Stargate SG-1 talking to Colone O'Neil about how "young" the humans are and how there's so much they just don't understand. . . . . . . . . .

Here's hoping we all survive long enough to grow up.