by Tina Grazier
Talk of Bush hatred and anti-American sentiment may have tarnished the shine of American pride but it hasnt dulled our president in his efforts to learn from others. This man makes every minute on the job a worthwhile endeavorincluding lunch. A recent story out of the U.K. by Irwin Stelzer, “Lunch in the White House with George offers a glimpse into the everyday world of our president and the dedicated working style he brings to the job. This particular luncheon included the Vice President, Mr. Stelzer, historian Gertrude Himmelfarb, Norman Podhoretz, Michael Novak and historian Andrew Roberts whose book, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, had caught the presidents attention. The following are the lessons from history that Roberts offered:
First: do not set a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq. That led to the slaughter of 700,000 people in India, with the killing beginning one minute after the midnight deadline. Bush wondered if there were examples of occupying forces remaining for long periods other than in Korea. Roberts suggested Malaysia where it took nine years to defeat the communists, after which the occupying troops remained for several years. And Algeria, added Bush, citing Alistair Hornes A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 for the proposition that more Algerians were killed after the French withdrawal than during the French occupation.
Second lesson: will trumps wealth. The Romans, the tsars and other rich world powers fell to poorer ones because they lacked the will to fight and survive. Whereas the second world war was almost over before Americans saw the first picture of a dead soldier, today the steady drumbeat of media pessimism and television coverage are sapping the Wests will.
Third lesson: dont hesitate to intern your enemies for long periods. That policy worked in Ireland and during the second world war. Release should only follow victory.
Lesson four: cling to the alliance of the English-speaking peoples. Although many nations are engaged in the coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, troops from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are doing the heavy lifting.
The closing note was more sombre. Roberts told Bush that history would judge him on whether he had prevented the nuclearisation of the Middle East. If Iran gets the bomb, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other countries would follow. The only response was a serious frown and a nod.
As Mr. Stelzer noted in his excellent article our president is all too aware that he is the decider. That is the job and he is determined to carry that burden well. There aren’t many people in this world who could step into the sizable shoes of the presidency, let the weight of responsibility rest on his shoulders, and move boldly ahead never stopping to make excuses or pass the buck. The hatred and ridicule of this man is unreasonable, even looney.
Mr. Stelzer also had a personal anecdote for the president…which prompted a typical, humerous reply:
The president was told that antiAmericanism was caused to some extent by dislike of Bush but was also due to the war in Iraq; antiIsrael, pro-Palestinian sentiment, laced with some covert antisemitism; and resentment of American power. I added an anecdote, recalling that my wife Cita and I abruptly left a posh London dinner party when the guests began attacking Bush and the US. Many thanks for that, but youd better not move to New York City or you will starve to death, said the president, to a chorus of Amen from the New Yorkers at the table.