Islam-bashing is Cool!

Andrew Sullivan links to an old article about some of the early signs of Isalmaphobia among conservatives that helps to frame why it's become so fashionable among conservative pols these days to not simply bash Muslim extremists, but the entire faith of a billion people as well.

It wasn't that long ago that then-President Bush tried to separate the extremists within Islam from the rest of its adherents.  Bush had his faults, but he did try to present a more tolerant version of conservatism at least when it came to religion.  How times have changed. A recent Politico post shows that many of the potential 2012 GOP presidential nominees are already showing their anti-Muslim credentials in speaking out against the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque."

The thing about this, is that when you basically decide to play the game that Muslim extremists want- which is a war of between civilizations, there is basically only one way to settle things: through war.  I'm not a pacifist and I'm not anti-military, but I tend to think that you don't want to use the military all the time.  Americans are willing to fight for what they believe in, but they aren't willing to engage in endless war.

In someways, what Sullivan says in another post makes some sense:

I think it's time to acknowledge what we are increasingly learning: the base of the GOP - aided and abetted by what's left of their elites - want a religious war abroad and at home not on Jihadism, but on Islam itself. And a vote for the GOP is a vote for this agenda. It is a vote for global warfare and domestic division.

Now, I think that Sullivan is, as usual, being a bit too sweeping in his statement. I don't think all Republicans support this bigoted agenda. But I do think that what is called the base of the GOP is declaring war on Islam and that's bad news for all of us.

That said, it is up to those who are conservative and/or libertarian to speak up against such hatred and denounce politicians who play along. It's the only way to save conservatism and the Republican Party from itself.

Worst President Ever? Maybe...Maybe Not.

It has become pretty fashionable not only among liberals, but even conservatives to see the Bush years as a big failure.

On the other side, there are Bush partisans who believe that the former President will be vindicated, just give it time.

Now I have been one of many who think that George Bush was not a good executive. I think he was not up to the task of the many tests that came his way from 9/11 to Katrina. But that said, I think it is too early to say the 43rd President was the worst ever or even that he will be vindicated in time. We just don't know.

I don't know if it is central to our times, but we want to make our historic judgements as soon as possible. But the fact is, history takes time and history is something that is ongoing and is an unknown. Bush has made many mistakes and cheif among them was his willingness to take the nation to war against Iraq. President Bush set several bad things in motion because of what he did and we know that. But we don't know the future. We have no idea how something like Iraq will play out over the years. Maybe Iraq will descend into a civil war as the US starts to leave. Maybe it will become a thriving democracy and an example to the rest of the Middle East, we just don't know.

It goes without saying that Bush had made mistakes that have cost the GOP and the nation as a whole. But it might be too soon to say he is the worst president, or to vindicate him because it is just too soon and some of things started under Bush are still taking place.

Decades from now, historians might look back and say that Bush was a horrible President, look at how the world was impacted by his years. But they may also say he did his best under the circumstances or things like that.

But until then, I will withhold my ultimate judgement on Bush. Let history play itself out and be the proper judge.