First I have to say that Bush's inaugural address was probably the best-delivered speech he's given. But when I heard his speech I was reminded of something I read early last year in a biography on Khrushchev by William Taubman.
A few weeks before Kennedy's inauguration, Khrushchev gave a speech in which he said the world was going socialism's way and that the only wars the Soviet Union supported were "wars of national liberation." Such struggles, he said, were both "inevitable and sacred."
Now I'm not trying to compare Bush to Khrushchev, nor am I saying anything that implies that Bush is modeling any Soviet agenda. My point is that as much as Kennedy reacted to this speech (many of his comments in his famous inaugural address were targeted to attack Khrushchev's comments just a few weeks before -- Khrushchev was probably the most significant audience for that speech) I think it's safe to say that others in the world will react the same way to Bush's comments (which I'm sure we'll see in the press on Friday).
In many ways this speech was very bold, and there's no other way to look at it than it's going to be a very tumultuous four years. As much as I want the oppressed to be free, we have enough problems at home that need to be fixed before we start going out to liberate the world. Not to mention how hard and long it's taking to liberate Iraq alone, and that's still a crap shoot.
Democracy, yes. Freedom, yes. Rule the world, no.
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