The Boston Globe‘s James Carroll writes today about the ‘troubling turn in American history,’ and notwithstanding the tripe that follows, it seems the ‘troubling turn’ occurred in 1492. Carrol seems to think that America can’t get anything right without doing somebody wrong.
The superb Jules Crittenden dismantles Carroll’s piece:
There’s not much to add. But if Carroll’s overall theme can be summarized as ‘America turns a blind eye to injustice, but then wises up and corrects that failing,’ then how can he possibly be against what are are trying to do in Iraq? After all, a key reason for attempting to establish a pluralistic regime in Baghdad is that the repressive, closed, and intolerant Islamic societies that the United States once supported are a breeding ground for the radical Islamists who now attack us. According to George Bush and other proponents of this war, it’s high time the United States stopped supporting such autocratic and theocratic regimes, standing instead for the civil rights of their repressed citizens. At worst, the Iraq war ought to count as a ‘noble failure’ by Carroll’s lights. Or does Carroll want us to welcome some Saddam clone back into power–some strong man with whom we can do business, and who can keep Iraq stable? How would that fit Carroll’s image of an America that always strives to do better?
