President Bush Is Losing The Cold War Peace

History has a voice. Through its participants, monuments and anniversaries, it can both inspire and haunt us. As President Bush pushes his national security agenda on Capitol Hill, a perfect storm of anniversaries hovers over it like Banquo's ghost asking the question of whether President Bush and his fellow travelers in Congress have squandered our victory in the Cold War by embracing the tactics of our vanquished enemy.

This summer marked the 20th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's historic challenge at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Four years later, the nation Reagan once called the "evil empire" had ceased to exist.

After a half-century competition between the forces of freedom and totalitarianism, freedom had won. The United States, having been resolute in the face of Nazi and Soviet ambitions of a global empire, now stood as the world's sole superpower partly because it had consistently stood as a beacon of liberty and human rights to the world -- what Ronald Reagan called "the shining city on a hill."

On Oct. 26, the ACLU and PEN commemorated another anniversary -- the 60th anniversary of the radio broadcast "Hollywood Fights Back," in which Humphrey Bogart and other film legends denounced the House Un-American Activities Committee's witch hunt against Hollywood and the Bill of Rights. In a reading of the broadcast that included one original cast member and blacklist victims, the cast reminded the audience of present day dangers as the date also was the sixth anniversary of the "Patriot Act," which gave President Bush unprecedented authority to conduct domestic surveillance. That is why Humphrey Bogart's question from the original broadcast whether "our democracy was so feeble" that we must forsake our individual liberties in order to preserve it -- rings true today. Far too often those who claim the mantle of patriotism to protect us from our enemies have little faith or tolerance for the Constitution and principles upon which we were founded and which have endured for two centuries.

The "Hollywood Fights Back" rebroadcast occurred within days of reports that former Attorney General Gonzales had secretly approved a legal opinion concluding that waterboarding and other interrogation methods copied from Soviet interrogation manuals were not "cruel, inhuman or degrading;" and his successor testifying that the president could simply ignore the Constitution, acts of Congress and treaty obligations to conduct warrantless domestic surveillance and hold citizens indefinitely without charge. Judge Mukasey also refused to define waterboarding as torture, despite the fact the U.S. military has treated it as a war crime since 1898.

The contrast between the Bush administration's dark vision and President Reagan's view of the nation as a shining city on a hill led the New York Times to ask whether we were still the country that challenged the Soviets to tear down the Berlin Wall or are we now a nation "that tortures human beings and then concocts legal sophistries to . . . avoid accountability"? This is not an esoteric legal debate, but rather a debate over what kind of nation we are. You do not need a law degree to answer the question as to whether our model of justice should be defined by the Constitution or by Soviet interrogation manuals.

Who we are as a nation is a vital component of our security, which is why the 9/11 Commission noted that "just as we did in the Cold War, we need to defend our ideals abroad vigorously [and show that] America does stand up for its values." It is a telling fact that today in Germany -- the epicenter of the Cold War -- both Russia and China are viewed more favorably than the United States.

The blame for this abandonment of American values does not rest with President Bush alone. Two other anniversaries speak especially to this point. A year ago last week, the Democrats were swept back into power with a mandate -- change. The party has made little progress in Iraq and has even ceded ground to the president by granting him increased surveillance authority and confirming Mukasey (since having a good administrator at the Justice Department is more important than defending the Constitution). "Hollywood Fights Back" reminds us what can happen when good people fail to act or succumb to a climate of fear -- a phenomenon all too common in the post 9/11 Democratic Party.

In addition, Thanksgiving Day will be the 44th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. It is striking how the Democrats have gone from the party of "Profiles in Courage" to the party that is scared of its own shadow, from the party that stood at the Berlin Wall and expressed American resolve by declaring "ich bin ein Berliner" to the party of "ich bin ein Girlie Man."

Kennedy and Reagan both sounded the call of freedom in the face of a landmark of oppression that was the dividing line between those who stood for freedom and those who merely stood for power. History is asking us what side of the wall do we stand on today.

Comments

[Rescisco]

Bush, his failures and his abandonment of our history as well as our better instincts, is us. The Democratic opposition, its fear of standing firm in the face of madness, insanity, and inanity, is us. We are they and they are we and we are all together! It is the vapidness of our generation, the rotting of the American mind, the betrayal of our history, and the absolute lunacy of the age that is to blame. We have lost our soul. The future will remember that we were the end of the American dream because we stopped doing the heavy lifting that history imposes on a free people. We failed to be vigilent and allowed ourselves to believe false prophets. We tolerated, even encouraged, ignorance to be declared the equal of intellegence and we allowed fear to do the choosing when the world got rough! The failed generation, the last generation, the end of the American dream.

[mpgarr]

To be fair-the Dems are just as guilty in this process as the Repugs are----no one's hands are clean in this regard, and "We the People" are just as guilty for we have allowed our necks to be put into the noose--I just wonder how long it will be till we are all hung on our own petards!!!

[mpgarr]

You really have to wonder if it was not part of "the grand plan" that one of the things Bush would do as president was to gut America's standing around the world and dimish our luster??

He may have been a F*#K Up as a president in just about every other way---but he and his crew have done a good job doing that--and they also did a pretty good job of turning our nation into a glorified Banana Republic---elections you can't trust and instead of being a nation that produces much anymore--we are mostly a source of raw materials that get taken elsewhere--made into items that we have to then purchase and import from companies in foreign lands.

[Sundialsvc4]

And what are we doing with regards to Mexico?

"Mister Bush, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!"

[seawolf77]

I've got news for you people, Russia won the Cold War, Putin is the most powerful man in the world and when he flexes those muscles the Bush/Cheney sphincters will no doubt seize up for good. I can't wait to see the look of constipation on those stupid faces.

[avergejoe]

Lets frank here.

The governments betrayal of 'traditional' values for a more perverted view of the governing which includes:

preemptive war
immigrant prejudice
business welfare over citizen welfare
'diplomacy' through bombing back to the stone age
disdain for the bill of rights
government for sale
etc

These all steadily increased in practice as seedy little guys increasingly crawled about DC's back rooms. Creeps like:

Kissinger
Abrams
Libby
Wolfiwitz
Kristol
Safire
Lieberman
Waxman
etc, etc, etc

Who brought this style of the homeland, where such practice is the norm. They fostered radicals like:

Falwell
Robertson
Bolton
Cheney
etc, etc

To increase support for their cause and legislators for their laws.

[JustAnotherJoe]

I'd also like to point out that we're trying to build our very own wall along the border with Mexico. Oh, I know, it's different. teh berlin wall tried to stop everything. Our wall won't impede the free flow of cheap goods, just cheap labor.

[rabun666]

A soviet fascist type government is being implemented for the USA by Republicans and compliant Democrats and the Democratic Party has become a branch of the Republican Party with Hillary being a Republican. She campaigned for Nixon in 1960, voted for him in 68, Goldwater girl in 64 and president of the Wellesley Young Republicans.

[Not Blind]

Are we still the country that challenged the Soviets to tear down the Berlin Wall or are we now a nation "that tortures human beings and then concocts legal sophistries to . . . avoid accountability"? This is a debate over what kind of nation we are. Should our model of justice should be defined by the Constitution or by Soviet interrogation manuals. Who we are as a nation is a vital component of our security, which is why the 9/11 Commission noted that "just as we did in the Cold War, we need to defend our ideals abroad vigorously [and show that] America does stand up for its values." A year ago last week, the Democrats were swept back into power with a mandate -- change. The party has made little progress in Iraq and has even ceded ground to the president by granting him increased surveillance authority and confirming Mukasey. It is striking how the Democrats have gone from the party of "Profiles in Courage" to the party that is scared of its own shadow, filled with people fail to act or succumb to a climate of fear.
Let's not forget good old fashioned greed, along with that fear. Jay Rockefeller has taken money from AT&T, and says that hasn't influenced his position on favoring granting the telecoms immunity. DiFi's hubby owns nearly 23% stock in the Carlysle Group, and has personally pocketed $2 million since the war began. She & Shumer were the swing votes that put Mukasey into the so-called Justice Dept's driver's seat. The Democrats are no better than the Republicans. The Republicans are just outright with their dirty tricks, character assassinations, and more bold about appointing party loyalists rather than competent experienced professionals into posts.

[paixa3]

How the supreme court could railroad citizens to put this totally worthless loser in the white house is a damn disgrace to the country.

[Windpiper]

The new "Bush" patriot is someone who wraps them self in the flag, carries a cross, and wipes their rear with the constitution.

[bushdoescrack]

bush desparately wanted to be seen as a "war president", his words. unfortunately for the innocent people of iraq, bush chose a defenceless country to rape and pillage. the "war president", his words, was woefully inept in preparing for war and understanding the politics of the middle east. bush has left the middle east as an unstable area of the world, now pakistan, turkey and iran are seen as potential trouble spots. there is no easy answer for what is happening in iraq, there should have been diplomacy over bombs, there were no wmd's, sadaam was not a problem. bush has emerged, clearly, as the biggest threat to world peace in our times, the "war president" is merely is small little, ignorant man who wanted his place in history.

[Macready]

Great post . . . courage is certainly lacking amongst the Dems in Congress . .. seems most of them have sold their souls . . . feinstein are schumer are perfect examples and then there is hillary . . . who is masquerading as a Dem . . . even though she has consistently backed bush on important votes like Iraq . . . .
The US has changed almost unrecognisably in the 44 years since JFKs assassination . . . then the world mourned with us . . . today many Americans and the world wonders why Congress can't get the balls to impeach the chimp and the big dick . . . impeachment is the first step towards changing direction . . . anyone foolish enough to believe change will come with another possibly rigged election in 2008 is deluding themselves.

[drblack]

You put it so well...Bush has been the greatest recruiting tool for terrorists. Bush and the republicans , enabled by many dems have made the world more dangerous and have stolen or destroyed American Freedom.
Regan had NOTHING to do with the fall of the USSR. The Soviets did themselves in...by the late 60s they had spent themselves into losing by spending too much on the military and not enough on other important things like infer structure , education etc.
The Soviets also followed their beliefs more than reason and science. They made policy based on faith instead of reason.
The Soviets also lost because they didn't have a Free country where people could live as they saw fit. The Soviets spied on their people and created a large amount of fear in the people.
The Soviets also had a corrupt government where money and power were more important then reason and justice.
So the Soviets lost because they...
--Spent to much on their military at the expense of education and infra structure, better technology etc.
__Followed their faith instead of reason

-- Had propaganda instead of factual information

----Weren't Free and spied on their people

__Created fear in their population

---Allowed money and power to trump reason and justice and the rule of law.

Do these reasons for the Soviet downfall remind you of any other country?

[sparkandy]

Great post, if somewhat depressing. Most people don't trust the Dems any more than the GOP any more. Both parties were great at one time or another, but now they're both just sell outs to the corporate bandits who own them. Depressing indeed.