Bush's WWII/9-11-2001 analogy, with a side of WWIII

[Zoe]

It was in actually reading the entire speech that I could best understand how the President sees “the current conflict” and why he compares it to WWII. Further, and to the question, it is easier to see why such thinking may lead to a version of World War III. For him, the current coflict is not just in Iraq or Afghanistan, but the entire Middle East. His intention is for America to “save” the Middle East just as the Allies “saved” Europe.

The following are excerpts from his speech which I think point the way to a world-wide war. They are taken out of context, but not in order to change the meaning of what was being said. All bolding has been added:

Just as events in Europe determined the outcome of the Cold War, events in the Middle East will set the course of our current struggle. If that region is abandoned to dictators and terrorists, it will be a constant source of violence and alarm, exporting killers of increasing destructive power to attack America and other free nations…

]…We are using every available tool to dismantle, disrupt and destroy terrorists and their organizations. **With all the skill of our law enforcement, all the stealth of our special forces, and all the global reach of our air power, we will strike the terrorists before they can strike our people. The best way to protect America is to stay on the offensive… **

…We saw the terrible harm that terrorists did by taking effective control over the government of Afghanistan – a terrorist victory that led directly to the attacks of September the 11th. And terrorists have similar designs on Iraq, on Pakistan, on Saudi Arabia and many other regional governments they regard as illegitimate. We can only imagine the scale of terrorist crimes were they to gain control of states with weapons of mass murder or vast oil revenues. So we will not retreat. We will prevent the emergence of terrorist-controlled states…

…If America were not fighting terrorists in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and elsewhere, what would these thousands of killers do, suddenly begin leading productive lives of service and charity? Would the terrorists who beheaded an American on camera just be quiet, peaceful citizens if America had not liberated Iraq? We are dealing here with killers who have made the death of Americans the calling of their lives. And America has made a decision about these terrorists: Instead of waiting for them to strike again in our midst, we will take this fight to the enemy…

I don’t think there are that many similarities between World War II and the War on Terror.

For starters, we are not at war against a nation or organized regime. We don’t have the support of our Allies – only a few governments, but certainly not the citizens.

We don’t have the leadership that we had in WWII – including someone who can pull the country together in a united front. We were united after 9-11 and he did not take advantage of that spirit of unity.

Despite the lack of similarities, I think that President Bush wishes to be seen as the Great Victor who leads the charge against evil and saves the world. IMO he forgets that he isn’t playing with tin soldiers.

[Latro]

@Zoe

We were united after 9-11 and he did not take advantage of that spirit of unity.

I would say that full advantage was taken of your spirit of unity.
All he had to do was point and shout ‘There’s the enemy!’ and the US came screaming down, in unison, upon an innocent country.

Only now it is that people stop and blink, “err, what just happened? Did we just do that?”

I wouldn’t give Georgie all the credit though.
He’s just the latest sock-puppet for the exact same bunch that used Reagan.
You are being taken advantage of, and how.

[DanBlather]

Well George H thought WWII was worth joining the military and risking his life for. If 9/11 is the equivalent I expect to see at least one of George W’s kids fight.

[Rashak_Mani]

Unless Bush sincerely thinks that he is a great war leader fighting the forces of [insert rhetorical title - evil/fascism/terror/satan/caos] then its just a case of his trying to get a ride on the D-Day anniversary and commemorations. He would especially like to be compared to great War presidents of the past like Churchill and FDR…

The editorial cartoons say it all… Bush always appears as a small figure in comparison to the titans of the past.