Comments on: We Have A Problem, All Right http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 19 Mar 2010 22:30:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: tedschan http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7084 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 07:08:56 +0000 http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7084 I hadn't considered his position on the life questions, though I was thinking more of what he uses to set himself apart from the other candidates... unfortunately the debates haven't really given him the opportunity to explain his positions on other questions. I hadn’t considered his position on the life questions, though I was thinking more of what he uses to set himself apart from the other candidates… unfortunately the debates haven’t really given him the opportunity to explain his positions on other questions.

]]> by: Daniel Larison http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7083 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:47:56 +0000 http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7083 As Republicans used to understand, or at least as they pretended to understand in the past, this is why nation-building by an outside power usually doesn't work. It involves making the success of your policy dependent on the performance of people over whom you are not supposed to have any control and whom you could not actually coerce even if you wanted to. They have their own interests and concerns, and they have their own timetables for when and how they will get things done. This is why tying our presence there to their successes is crazy. Blaming the Iraqis is just about the only face-saving method GOP war supporters have for abandoning the war, but it creates the false impression that everything would have gone just fine if it hadn't been for the people in the other country. In the end, it is entirely a device for avoiding responsibility, and as such it is a dangerous habit for our politicians to have. In fact, Tancredo is also quite good on life questions, and he got his high ACU rating mostly for good reasons. It is true, however, that he seems to come more from the hard nationalist side of the GOP than the smart constitutionalist sliver. As Republicans used to understand, or at least as they pretended to understand in the past, this is why nation-building by an outside power usually doesn’t work. It involves making the success of your policy dependent on the performance of people over whom you are not supposed to have any control and whom you could not actually coerce even if you wanted to. They have their own interests and concerns, and they have their own timetables for when and how they will get things done. This is why tying our presence there to their successes is crazy. Blaming the Iraqis is just about the only face-saving method GOP war supporters have for abandoning the war, but it creates the false impression that everything would have gone just fine if it hadn’t been for the people in the other country. In the end, it is entirely a device for avoiding responsibility, and as such it is a dangerous habit for our politicians to have.

In fact, Tancredo is also quite good on life questions, and he got his high ACU rating mostly for good reasons. It is true, however, that he seems to come more from the hard nationalist side of the GOP than the smart constitutionalist sliver.

]]> by: tedschan http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7082 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:29:48 +0000 http://larison.org/2007/06/23/we-have-a-problem-all-right/#comment-7082 Unfortunately Tancredo was also making similar remarks during the last debate, about how Iraqis have to take responsibility for making their democracy work and so on--this and his Jack Bauer comment really turned me off, and even if he's good on immigration, he seems to be an one-issue candidate. Unfortunately Tancredo was also making similar remarks during the last debate, about how Iraqis have to take responsibility for making their democracy work and so on–this and his Jack Bauer comment really turned me off, and even if he’s good on immigration, he seems to be an one-issue candidate.

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