The K.F. Stone Weekly

The Confirmed Unteachability of Mankind

 

   In a speech delivered before the British House of Commons nearly 75 years ago, Winston Churchill gave voice to perhaps the most pessimistic expression ever heard in that august chamber: " . . . the confirmed unteachability of mankind."  At the time he gave his speech, fascism was on the march in Europe; Winnie was obviously appalled, frustrated and likely depressed by the all but total lack of action or response to either Hitler or Mussolini on the part of European democracies.  He continued his oration bemoaning a certain "Want of foresight, the unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, the lack of clear thinking, the

confusion of consul until emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong."  In his peroration, Churchill lamented  ". . . these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history."  Churchill's gloomy cynicism can be easily forgiven; to a great extent, he knew of what he was speaking.

   In his speech before the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu quoted Churchill, similarly lamenting what he called "The unfortunate habit of civilized societies to sleep until danger nearly overtakes them."  Netanyahu spent the lion's share of his speech excoriating those who, like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad deny the Holocaust ever happened; those who accuse world Jewry of having created a myth out of whole cloth in order to gain international sympathy and thereby justify the very existence of the Jewish State.  In his speech Netanyahu argued forcefully, eloquently and passionately that anyone who can believe such perverse nonsense is either self-deluded or else suffers from the most perverse form of willful blindness.   

   Most intelligent people can concur that there is room for disagreement over what Israel should, can or must not do in order to achieve peace with its neighbors.  Indeed, if we all were to agree on one particular approach it would mean one of two things: either that we were acting in a really inane "B" movie, or that the Messiah had already arrived.   Let's face it: for many, debate is a contact sport. Similarly, those who read history honestly with both eyes wide open know that on those rare occasions when the Jewish State has been offered a chance for peace -- as with Egypt and Jordan -- it has   both greeted and embraced it with all the ardor and passion of a long-lost lover. And although Israel is by no means perfect, it remains the only functioning democracy in that part of the world.  Of course, we all know that this fact, along with a couple of hundred others, don't amount to a hill of beans for those who are anti-Zionist, anti-Semitic, or anti-Democracy. To them, facts don't mean a thing.

   Many years ago I had a math professor named Tom Lehrer.  He was a wonderful teacher and an even better writer of topical, satirical songs.  One of his more memorable tunes -- "Daily News" had the lyric "Don't try to confuse me with the facts . . ." Although Dr. Lehrer's lyric wasn't referring to anyone or anything in particular, it could easily describe those who, like Ahmadinejad, the oil sheiks of Saudi Arabia or Willis Carto and the creeps of the Institute for Historical Review who, despite tons and tons of documentation, persist in telling anyone who will listen, that the Holocaust never occurred.  Talk about the "confirmed unteachability of mankind!"  Of course, they probablydo know that the Holocaust did occur; they just have another agenda . . .

    We have always had our own unteachable faction right here in the good old USA.  Generally speaking, those who deny the Holocaust -- or see Communists under every bed, or firmly believe that all Jews know and speak with one another at least once a week -- have been so far out of the mainstream as to be invisible to everyone save their acolytes or such groups as the Anti-Defamation League or the Southern Poverty Law Center whose job it is to keep track of them.  Mass media -- and the vast majority of sane people -- don't pay them any attention; there's just too many facts out there proving them wrong, wrong, wrong.  Of late however, a lot of Americans suffering from "confirmed unteachability" have been getting one heck of a lot of coverage in the media.  And here, I'm referring to those who, despite a welter of documents and facts, persist in the belief that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya; that he is a Socialist -- or a Communist, a Nazi, a Fascist, a gang-banger from the 'hood, an effete Harvard snob or an ardent Israel-hating anti-Semite.  From what is portrayed on the nightly news, it would seem as if the numbers of the unteachable have reached the point of no return.  Well, as a professor once told me, "If you put a single-cell amoeba under an electron microscope it's going to wind up looking like a Stegosaurus."  Shame on all the news editors for putting them on the tube in the first place.

   Just yesterday, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor -- the only Jewish Republican left on Capitol Hill -- told Politico, "If you look at the policy that this White House has followed, it certainly does not seem as if we are dealing with a true friend of Israel."  The White House declined to respond to Rep. Cantor's remarks, stating instead that "achieving a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is how you can be a true friend to Israel."  What I find amazing is that Cantor's charge -- that the President is not a "true friend" of Israel -- came on the very day when he hosted a trilateral meeting between P.M. Netanyahu and President Abbas.  According to Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), chair of the House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Cantor's criticisms "appear to be timed deliberately to weaken the administration's ability to lay the foundations for peace negotiations."  Could it be that Mr. Cantor is among the "unteachable?"  Or, is it something else?

   I have interviewed Eric Cantor, and know him to be both intelligent and skillful.  I also know him to be a highly partisan, deeply conservative Republican; a man who believes the answer to every fiscal issue is lowering taxes and whose mistrust of the federal government is akin to a religious obligation.  Perhaps in questioning President Obama's bona fides vis-à-vis Israel, Cantor is really attempting to convince those for whom the Jewish State is an issue of primal importance that they would be better served belonging to -- and voting for -- the Republican Party.

  From where I sit, and from what I've learned, there are certain incontrovertible facts in this vexatious, headache-inducing world of ours:

1. Israel really, truly does want peace.
2. The Holocaust really, truly did happen.
3. Barack Obama is really, truly a native-born American.
4. The current administration -- although it may not always agree with everything Israel does or says -- is really, truly a steadfast friend.
5. Winston Churchill was -- regrettably -- for the most part correct; there are a lot of unteachable, unreachable people out there.     
   

©2009 Kurt F. Stone

"The Pianists: A Parable"

  This week, instead of the normal political op-ed piece, I've written a short story entitled "The Pianists: A Parable." In addition to being this week's piece, it is also going to be my sermon for Erev Rosh Hashanah.  In its own way, its plenty political.

  

                The Pianists: A Parable

(Note: The following was discovered on a papyrus scroll in a cave. Due to its extreme age, estimated at not less than 1,800 years old, there were many gaps (or lacunae) which made the text difficult to render . . .)

 

  Once upon a time long ago, a group of weary wanderers received a Divine Commandment from on high. It forever changed their lives. The resonating basso voice of the Nameless Muse said: “Thou has been chosen for greatness. Hear now this commandment that I command thee this day: Thou shalt become Piano Players and lovers of music. Throughout all thy generations, thou shalt diligently teach thy children to study and to practice, to play and to love, the music of the Piano. For Piano is thy life and the length of thy days. It shall add glory, meaning and contentment to thy lives. Piano shall fulfill thy souls. I am thy Muse.”

  To facilitate their lives, Co* [This pronoun means "he/she"] gave them a manuscript with explicit step-by-step instructions on how to build a proper piano. To further guide them along their path, the Muse also provided the Piano Players (or “Pianists”) with The Holy Score, which contained Sonatas, Fantasies, and Concertos, Partitas, Trios and Quartets. Needless to say, those hearing the Muse’s Divine Directive were moved beyond compare; slowly they began seeking the means to fulfill Co’s awesome decree. This they did throughout their generations, as they continued wandering the wilderness, ever searching for their place in the sun.

   After many years of meandering, the nascent Pianists did find a permanent home in a land they called “Pastoral.” Once settled, they began devoting their lives to Piano and its attendant joys. Over many generations, they became renowned for the skill and artistry, the dedication and single-mindedness with which they fulfilled their Prime Command. They endlessly studied the Holy Score, adding variations and brilliantly original compositions of their own. They were a happy people living happy, creative lives. But there were dark clouds on the horizon. . .

   Other peoples and cultures (whom they simply referred to as “Outsiders”) mocked them and scorned them. They seemed so different. In a sense, they were. For owing to the extreme discipline required in order to become players of Piano and lovers of music, the Pianists generally lived by apart from all others. They even developed their own language with which to speak amongst themselves; they called it “P’santayr.” Not having been witness to the original Command on High, Outsiders could not understand the commitment and devotion with which the Pianists lived their lives. They kept strange hours and seemed to do nothing but practice, practice, practice. They played pieces from the Holy Score religiously three times each day. One day in seven they rested, doing nothing but attending the Odeon – their place of musical devotion. They dressed alike and all ate high protein diets. They rarely participated in activities that the Outsiders considered “important” or “necessary.” How, the Outsider’s wondered, could any people devote so much of their lives to something as frivolous and nonproductive as Piano playing and music?

   Because of their uniqueness, they were often persecuted. In fact, many Outsider cultures tried to eliminate them. Many believed that the Piano Players were an powerful, monolithic force bent upon taking over the entire world. Strangely, others saw in the Piano Players an inherent weakness that made them susceptible to the will of the devil. Against all reason, the Outsiders became convinced that the Piano Players believed themselves to be better than everyone else, although this certainly was not the case. True, the Muse had long ago informed the Pianists that they were Co’s “Chosen People.” But that did not make them better – only chosen. But Chosen for what? Why to be Players of Piano and devotees of music – not an easy task when you think about it. No, they were not better, but they were different and unique. Unfortunately, many people could not (and still cannot) understand that people who are “different” or “unique” need not be feared.

   After generations of living extraordinary lives in Pastorale, the Pianists were conquered by Outsiders and forced to leave their homeland. Before long, they were dispersed to the four corners of the earth. As the generations came and went, the Piano Players contributed greatly to the countries and cultures in which they found themselves living. They continued to be persecuted and scorned for their uniqueness. To the Outsider way of thinking, they just didn’t fit in. Nonetheless, they did continue to provide both themselves and the entire world with sonatas, concertos and symphonies of dazzling brilliance and profundity. They created a body of musical literature that covered virtually every emotional aspect of life. No matter where they found themselves in the wide world, they continued to study, to play, and to luxuriate in the heavenly music they had been commanded to create. It gave their lives meaning and purpose, just as the Muse had predicted. And, despite the fact that they were grossly misunderstood and even harmed, music continued to be the central focus of their lives – the driving force that kept them together as a people.

   After 2,000 or more years, the Pianists lived in almost every country in the world. Never vast in number, they were nonetheless believed by the Outsiders to be an enormous monolithic congregation. In a sense, one can readily understand how the Outsiders might reach this unwarranted conclusion. Because of their unique culture and common purpose, they felt themselves to be a single family. Theirs was a singular global connection. Since all Piano Players adhered to roughly the same daily ritual of practice and study, they understood each other’s lifestyles, needs and expectations. And since they all spoke “P’santayr,” they could communicate with one another whenever the need arose.

   For countless generations, Pianists would only marry amongst themselves. This they felt to be their sacred obligation. Whenever or wherever a community of Pianists might suffer, their fellows could always be counted on to come to their aid. Additionally, when finally permitted to enter mainstream professions – law, medicine, banking and academics – the Pianists tended to become rather successful. This was due in great pat to the tremendous discipline and love of learning that had been instilled in them throughout all their generations. Simply stated, they approached each and every challenge as if it were party of the Holy Score. The Outsiders – perhaps through jealousy, envy, or sheer ignorance – had a tendency to look upon their success as positive proof that the Pianists were international conspirators – evil people bent upon taking over the entire world. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

   With the arrival of modern times, many strange things began to occur amongst the Piano Players. They found the pull of Outsider society to be increasingly strong and alluring. The time they devoted to playing Piano and studying music became less and less. While most considered themselves devoted Pianists in the cultural sense, many turned from age-old forms of study and practice. They no longer trained their children for a lifetime of playing and love of music. Why? Many said that they were deeply concerned lest their children feel “odd” or “strange” around their Outsider neighbors. No longer did they play Piano three times a day, as had their ancestors. Rarely did they attend the Odeon on the Seventh Day. No longer did they steep their children in the musical culture of their grandfathers and grandmothers.

   Rather, now they began sending them to twice-weekly lessons for three or four years in order to learn to play but a single piece of Piano music – and largely by rote at that. The parents rarely, if ever, took their children to the Odeon on the Seventh Day. In far too many homes, the children were unable to practice, for the parents did not even have a Piano. The message these children often received was: “Piano must be important to you for the n ext several years.”

   “Why?” their children would ask.

   “Because we say so,” the parents would answer.

   Often they would add: “But, if after you have completed your lessons, you do not want to continue, that will be your decision.” The children questioned why something that should be important to them was rarely seen or heard within their own homes. It was a very good question, a very good question indeed.

   It eventually became the custom that at the age of thirteen, each child would play his or her single piece of music at a glorious recital that would be attended by family and friends. Plans for the recital (and the banquet that would follow) began years before the child knew how to locate Middle C, or had ever heard of Bach, Beethoven or Brahms. The day of the recital was filled with tension and anxiety, lest the child not “perform” up to capacity. It became increasingly obvious that many of those who attended these recitals did not have the slightest idea of how to act or what to expect. They had become, in short, a musically illiterate folk.

   Many of those in attendance would recall their own recitals, and realize that it was really the last time they had ever played Piano, attended the Odeon, or devoted themselves to music. Some would remember their parents and grandparents, and how they devoted their lives to the pursuit of Piano and music. But these children – the ones who played the single recital piece – were different. Despite the fact that they might play their single piece with ability and skill, they were incapable of reading the musical score or recognizing its worth. Moreover, few, if any, had the true love of music, which the Muse had long ago commanded. True to form, few would ever play Piano after their recital. This new generation merely went through the motions without much feeling or understanding. What they did understand, was that after the recital, they would receive gifts of money. After the performance, the family would throw a magnificent banquet that would last until all hours of the night. Quite often these festivities cost far more than the family could truly afford.

   The elders grew fearful. “How silly it is to spent all that time and money just to teach our children a single piece of music,” they said. “And for what? For the sake of a single recital and a great feast? It is a tragedy. Our children no long truly know how to play Piano, speak ‘P’santayr,” or have that great love and devotion to music which has always been our heritage. Where will it all end?”

   But the elders came to realize that they were, at least in part, to blame. They were the ones who took to speaking “P’santayr” only when they did not wish their children to understand. Then too, they were the ones who let the very culture of Piano slowly slip through their fingers, preferring instead the ways of their non-Pianist neighbors.

   Fortunately, the elders, working in consonance with their children and grandchildren, came up with a solution that not only solved their growing problem, but actually caused a musical renaissance among the Pianists. In short, they . . .

(At this point, the manuscript suddenly ended, leaving posterity to ponder just what the solution was).

©2009 Kurt F. Stone

Ani m'achayl lachem shana tova u'mtuka . . .

 

 

The Great American Earache, Jr.

   John Elliott Rankin (1882-1960) represented Mississippi's 1st Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 1921-1953. In his day, Rankin was without question the most narrow-minded, racist member of that body . . . and that's saying one whole heck of a lot.  Rankin was what one might call an "equal opportunity bigot."  He hated Jews and Blacks with an equal passion, and made no bones about  it.  His Congressional speeches were invariably laced with lies, half-truths and obnoxious racist epithets; so much so that one artful wag nicknamed him "The Great American Earache."  As a member of the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee Rankin came under fire for failing to investigate violence and murder perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan. "After all," Rankin said on the House floor, "The KKK is an old American institution." When Rankin was taken to task by columnist Walter Winchell, "The Great American Earache" dismissed Winchell (Winschel) as "The little Kike."  When Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was elected to the House in 1944, Rankin repeatedly referred to him as "The nigger from New York." Powell was so incensed that he rose  to say "The time has arrived to impeach Rankin, or at least expel him from the party. " The House did neither.

   On June 4, 1941, New York Representative M. Michael Edelstein engaged Rankin in a colloquy.  In a debate over whether or not America should become engaged in the war in Europe, Edelstein argued for intervention.  Rankin then rose and charged that the pro-interventionist faction was being "orchestrated, financed and led by a little group of our international Jewish brethren."  Incensed, Edelstein immediately went on the attack and accused the "Gentleman from Mississippi" of "demagoguery and hate mongering."  His voice rising with emotion, Edelstein cried out, "Mr. Speaker, Hitler started out by speaking about 'Jewish brethren' and 'international bankers.' The last speaker speaking about international bankers coupled them with our 'Jewish brethren'. . .  I deplore the idea that any time anything happens . . . men in this House . . . attempt to use the Jews as their scapegoat."

  At this point, Edelstein began to sway, his face quickly losing color.  Nonetheless, he continued on to his peroration: "I say it is unfair, and I say it is un-American.  All men are created equal, regardless of race, creed or color; and whatever a man be, Jew of Gentile, he may think what he deems fit."  Edelstein staggered from the House floor, collapsed in the Capitol lobby, and within seconds died of a massive heart attack -- murdered, some say, by John Rankin, "The Great American Earache."

   In finishing the newest edition of The Congressional Minyan: The Jews of Capitol Hill, I of course did a "touch up" on Rep. Edelstein's entry.  During the several days I was "hanging out" with Edelstein, I watched as angry, sometimes gun-toting "birthers" and assorted irate, fearful Americans screamed at the top of their lungs, proclaiming that our president is an "alien," a "racist," a "socialist" and  that he and the Democrats are "dedicated to tearing this country down and imposing Islamic law."

   I found myself wondering if these could be John Rankin's great grandchildren.

   And then along came South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson.  He is, of course, the fellow who had the temerity and cosmic bad taste to cat-call "YOU LIE" to President Obama as our Chief Executive was addressing a joint session of Congress on the status of Health Care reform in America.  For his efforts -- and despite his extremely lukewarm, halfhearted apology -- I hereby bestow on him the honorary appellation:

    The Great American Earache, Jr.
Inhonesto Causa

   One might argue that Wilson's two-word tirade is in no way comparable to the hate-filled invective of his "appellation-sake," John Rankin.  Then again, Rankin's ravings weren't broadcast for the entire world to see and hear . . . over and over and over again; neither the technology nor the desire existed in 1941. Back then, the country was faced with many crucial problems and issues, all of which demanded  critical examination and response -- from Congress, the media, from the people themselves.  It simply was not in the cards to waste precious time either defending or condemning Rankin's hate-filled invective. That was a side-show America could ill afford at the time.  True, Rankin should have had his sorry tuches kicked all the way back to Tupelo. But the fact of the matter is that he remained in Congress for another decade, at which time he ran for the Senate, coming in 5th in a five-man race with a mere 13% of the vote.  He had been marginalized, and spent the last decade of his career being mostly ignored.  That was the 1940s, a time when a bigot like John Rankin was barely a sidebar, let alone a story.

    2009 is of course, a different story.  A fool like Joe Wilson is the story. Now we have tens of dozens of media outlets all competing for a slice of the audience -- an audience they consider as customers and consumers first, and only then, as citizens. They are more than happy to put the name, face and tirade of Wilson on TV and invite him on their talk shows . . . or spend the better part of a day writing about him for a weekly Blog article. 

   Shame on us all!

   How to reform health care; what to do about the economy, the environment and Afghanistan -- these are the issues that matter, not a Brobdingnagian bigot like Joe Wilson. Yes, what he did was terribly wrong.  He showed consummate disrespect for the President of the United States.  But then again, so did a majority of the Republicans sitting on their hands in the House last Wednesday night -- some sneering, others snoring, some even texting.  As a result, much of what President Obama said has already been forgotten -- or worse, misreported or mis-characterized.  President Obama says, "Insurance executives don't do this because they are bad people; they do it for profits;" Hannity reports, "The president said 'Insurance executives are bad people.'" May we say here and now that Hannity lies?  Rush Limbaugh proclaims that the only thing Rep. Wilson did wrong was in offering an apology!  Isn't it obvious that Limbaugh will stir up any pot or kettle he finds for the sake of ratings?

   So much of what passes for dialogue and discourse these days is anything but. We have reached a point where for many, incivility is courage, prevarication is patriotic, and the First Amendment guarantee of free speech is absolute[ly] for those with whom you agree.

   Enjoy your new nickname for the while, oh "Great American Earache, Jr."  It is my sincere wish that you achieve irrelevance even quicker than your appellation-sake.

   And that we get back to the true challenges at hand. . .   

©2009 Kurt F. Stone

En passant: For those who found Rankin v. Edelstein of interest, please know that the new edition of The Congressional Minyan: The Jews of Capitol Hill -- which will be out shortly -- has nearly 200 such stories drawn from the Halls of Congress. It is published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Where There's a [George F.] Will . . .

      There is a legend that when Mohammad, the founder of Islam, was asked to give proofs of his teaching, he ordered a particular mountain (Mt. Safa) to come to him.  When the mountain did not comply, Mohammad supposedly raised his hands towards the heavens and proclaimed, "Allah is merciful.  Had the mountain obeyed my words, it would have fallen on us and we would have been destroyed. Therefore, I will go to the mountain and thank Allah for showing us mercy . . ." 

   Somewhere along the line, the tale came to the attention of Sir Francis Bacon who, in his book "Essays," simplified and popularized it as "If the mountain won't go to Mohammad, Mohammad will go to the mountain."  This expression is pretty well known to most literate folks even though its history may be a tad hazy.  Don't ask me why, but I have long thought it to be distantly related to the locution about "Hell freezing over."  To me, both expressions speak of things which although possible, are grossly improbable -- like the Cubs winning the World Series, or Sean Hannity saying something positive about Nancy Pelosi.     

   Well, after reading an op-ed piece by George F. Will in Tuesday's Washington Post, I find myself wondering if perhaps it has started hailing in Hades.  For in his piece "Time to Get out of Afghanistan" Will, as consistent and intelligent a conservative as we've got -- now that William F. Buckley has shuffled off this mortal coil -- argues that Washington "must rapidly reverse the trajectory of America's involvement in Afghanistan."  He argues that far from increasing the number of troops we have on the ground, we should pull them out. Now, suddenly, he grasps  what everyone from Alexander the Great and the Mongols to Sir Robert Peel and Mikhail Gorbachev eventually learned: that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you're never going to conquer, tame or remake Afghanistan  in your own image. Commenting on the recent, as yet inconclusive elections in Afghanistan, Will inquires about their worth: "Creation of an effective central government?  Afghanistan has never had one." 

   Will recommends that "Forces should be substantially reduced to serve a comprehensively revised policy: America should do only what can be done from offshore, using intelligence, drones, cruise missiles, air strikes and small, potent  Special Forces units, concentrating on the porous 1,500-mile border with Pakistan, a nation that really matters."  (By the way Mr. Will, please note that Afghanistan is a totally land-locked country, making it rather doubtful that anything could be done "from offshore.")

   Could it be?  Is this really, truly George F. Will -- a CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN -- cooing like a dove?  Isn't cooing supposed to be the job of the liberals?  Aren't conservatives like Will supposed to be the expert saber rattlers? Is it really beginning to precipitate in purgatory?  Or is something else going on here?

    For the moment, Will hasn't got too many conservative -- or neo-conservative -- allies joining in on the cooing.  Writing on the Commentary website, former George W. Bush administration official Peter Wehner calls Will a "defeatist," and claims his column "could have been written in Japanese about the USS Missouri."  Wehner also calls Will "a defeatist" who "sound[s] more like Michael Moore than Henry Kissinger."

   Ouch!

   William Kristol the neo-conservative editor of the Weekly Standard, accused Will of "urging retreat, and accepting defeat."  And Frederick Kagan, a military historian at the (neo-conservative) American Enterprise Institute, who is pushing for a huge surge of US troops into Afghanistan, called Will's column "reprehensible."

   Double Ouch!

   So who is cooing along with Will?  Why liberal Democrats like Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, whose recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal called on the president to a time line for troop withdrawal. And increasingly, a higher and higher percentage of the American public are turning against American involvement in Afghanistan. According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 51% of respondents believe that the "war is not worth fighting."  Another poll has the percentage of those who see Afghanistan as a "war of choice rather than necessity" to be as high as 57%.  Could it be that George F. Will has gone over to the other side and become a card-carrying liberal?  That he will soon come out in favor of same-sex marriage and start pulling for the Obama health care plan?

   Has the Mohammad ventured to the mountain?

   In a word, NO.  The fact that Will's call for a US pullout comes at precisely the moment the Obama administration is leaning toward a further escalation of the war effort should raise eyebrows.  And, when Will mocks American efforts to eradicate  Afghanistan's opium trade as "Operation Sisyphus" bells should be going off.

   What in the world is going on here?  "Conservatives generally support a president they generally distrust because they think it important the country win the war in Afghanistan," William Kristol wrote the other day.  "As for today's liberals, they just don't want to see Americans win wars." And what of Mr. Will?  He has always been a staunch supporter of American military wars and ventures; he was a hawkish about Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Granada, Kosovo and Iraq. To my way of thinking his new-found dovishness has as much to do with practical politics as with morality or anything else. 

   George F. Will is a shrewd, calculating conservative.  What I think is going on in this mind goes something like this: the more obvious the link between President Obama and the quagmire of Afghanistan; the broader the rift this war causes in both the country and on Capitol Hill; the greater the likelihood of cutting into Democratic majorities in 2010 and perhaps taking back the White House in 2012. Then too, Will knows that historically, the American voting public has a terribly difficult time turning out a president when the country is at war.  Just ask Tom Dewey, George McGovern and John Kerry, as three examples.  Perhaps then what Will is banking on is that if and when we pull our ground forces out of Afghanistan, the American public will turn away from Obama and the Democrats and shift both their allegiance and their votes to . . . ?  To whom?  To the party of Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Tom Coburn?  To those who brought us tax-cuts for the wealthy, "No Child Left Behind," and WMDs in Iraq? 

   I think not. When it comes to Afghanistan, there will undoubtedly be even greater cleavage and separation between the "yeas" and the "nays."  But unless and until George F. Will and conservatives like him can identify a positive path, they will continue to languish in the minority.

   Then again, now that you've "gone to the mountain" and come out as a dove, perhaps we can interest you supporting a nifty public health option or some serious programs aimed at curbing global warming.  Perhaps together we can make hell freeze over.

   After all, where there's a (George F.) Will . . .

  

©2009 Kurt F. Stone