Forget everything you've heard to this point; all the talkingpoints are moot. This election is not one that comes down toissues; it comes down to the differing approaches of two men on onetopic: terrorism and how we deal with threats to our nationalsecurity. It is the defining topic of this election.
The fulcrum on which this election tilts is September 11, 2001.As this columnist noted over the summer, this election providesvoters with a clear distinction in candidates.
The challenger, John Kerry, is permeated by several consistentideals. The first is Kerry's continued reliance upon sanctions overmilitary action to squelch rogue entities. Kerry has made veryclear he prefers to work with our "traditional" allies, mainlyFrance and Germany. He is an ardent proponent of the United Nationsas the authority in dealing with international issues asdemonstrated from his first run for Congress in the 1970s totoday.
When asked about Sept. 11, Kerry noted it didn't change him thatmuch. His statements clearly show he desires the days of the 1990sin that "we have to get back to the place we were, where terroristsare not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance." This hasbeen derided as a policy of "retreat and defeat," but it is not; itshows a Cold War mentality.
Kerry's positions show his preference of the containment andd�tente ideals that dominated the Cold War decades. To wit,Kerry states that nuclear proliferation is our greatest threat andautomatically falls to his talking point on Russia's nuclearmaterial to make his case. Kerry focuses on nation-states primarilyand terrorism secondarily. He proposes to greatly expand the numberof both our regular military forces and Special Forces. These werethe supposed solutions to the Soviet threat throughout the ColdWar.
The incumbent, George W. Bush, resides to the opposite end. Bushhas made clear that while he desires to work with the UnitedNations he will not subject American security to their oversight.Bush has worked with allies, but they are new and different alliesinstead of the "traditional" ones. While he does not disdainsanctions he clearly does not see them as the best solution.
Bush says that Sept. 11 profoundly changed him. Unlike Kerry,Bush does not wish to return the 1990s mindset, saying we lived ina "mirage of safety." He asserts an aggressive, preemptive approachand the spreading of freedom and liberty. The Bush plan is that ofa bold warrior.
Bush's positions since Sept. 11 reveal this mindset. Bush saysthat terrorists using WMDs is our greatest threat and, unlikeKerry, asserts the danger lies primarily in terrorist networks andsecondarily in nation-states. He is working to reorganize themilitary into a more agile force where speed and flexibility leadsto greater effectiveness against our enemies. He does not view lawenforcement as the best way to deal with terrorists as Kerrydoes.
The election choices could not be clearer. We can elect a manwho wishes to utilize Cold War methods or a man who wishes topursue aggressive new approaches. One man wants to use methods ofthe past; the other wants to be forward thinking. Both haveinherent dangers attached.
The Kerry position provides little short-term danger but greaterdangers for the long term due to a lack of confrontation. The Bushposition has greater short-term dangers due to the confrontationalmethods but a lesser long-term danger as threats areeliminated.
This is the choice you face for not only yourself but also thefuture generations that follow. This election will determine how weconfront the threats this nation faces in these critical, formativeyears of the war on terrorism. It is a momentous decision that weare accorded: to chart our nation's course in this effort.
It comes down to the Cold Warrior versus the Bold Warrior. Thechoice is yours. Choose wisely.
Write to Jeff at
mannedarena@yahoo.com
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