Here’s a thought: The Iraq War boosters who enthusiastically promoted the idea that a violent invasion would deliver a stable democracy should keep their opinions about the next U.S. war to themselves.
For many pundits and (mostly) Republican politicians, the Obama years have been a time of serious decline of American power in the world. What they mean — and sometimes what they say outright, when they’re being honest — is that they want the United States to be more involved in more wars in foreign countries.
Sure, sometimes they’ll dress it up with rhetoric about American values and influence. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) — still treated as a foreign policy expert by big media — spoke recently about the need to “restore America’s power and prestige.” Fox host Bill O’Reilly declared that Obama “has not acted as a dominant world leader.”
It’s not hard to figure out what these folks really mean. Commenting on the turmoil across the Middle East, TV pundit Cokie Roberts complained that “we just haven’t made a strong enough presence in that region to have people be afraid of this country.” Time magazine explained to readers that Obama “hesitates” instead of using military force, and “trouble follows as a result.”