Some Thoughts on TR and GW

“The mad plunge of ours is simply and solely a vulgar and mercenary adventure, without a rag to cover its subordinates and shame….At one stroke, President --------- and Secretary --- have thrown to the winds the principles for which this nation was ready to go to war in the past, and have committed the country to a policy which is ignoble beyond words.”  New York Evening Post

After a five month hiatus in my reading of the sequel to Edmund Morris’ biography of President Roosevelt (his first book on the President being The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt), I delved back into his excellent book, Theodore Rex recently.  In one particular chapter, Mr. Morris gives a detailed account of the stress that acquisition rights to build the Panama Canal brought to Roosevelt's presidency.  The quote above, referring to President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay, expressed the sentiment of one of the nations leading editorialists at the time.  As I read it, I felt the weight of editorials aimed at our current president over the last few years resurrected to the forefront of my mind. 

It also made me think of the rhetorical comment that we live in extraordinary times.  Indeed, these are times that try the souls of American’s, yet they are simply a part of the ongoing struggle that we Americans have been a part of.  The history of the Panama Canal is taught in American high schools as an event of incredible human engineering.  Rarely discussed is the advancement of republican ideals that were occurring at the same time.  Panama, existing essentially as a territory of Columbia, recognized the benefits that the canal would bring to the Panamanians.  The longstanding movement of independence and representative rule converged with the interests of Panamanians to become the gateway between East and West for trade, and together, they presided over a revolution of sorts.  President Roosevelt deployed warships to ensure that the fledgling Panamanian government could be established peacefully and with as little bloodshed as possible.

It was in reaction to this move by President Roosevelt that many in the anti-imperialist league in the States, as well as members of the Presidents opposition seized on the opportunity to attack Roosevelt.  I am by no means a scholar on Panamanian history, but we do not need to go very far back to recognize the difficulties American soldiers faced in Panama a little more than a decade ago.  Despite the problems that have occurred in Panama over the course of the last 100 years since the move towards independence began, it is generally agreed that the actions taken by the President were hardly unconstitutional, and were certainly not “ignoble beyond words.” 

Three years ago, when talk of the war in Iraq split neighborhoods into those who supported the war and those who opposed it, many of these same words were said about our president.  Indeed, much worse was written about the man and his secretary whom some pundits claimed were throwing to the “winds the principles for which this nation was ready to go to war in the past.”  Regardless of those statements, our current President has endured in the same spirit of his political ancestors, President Roosevelt and President Wilson, by doing what was best in a long term plan for our nation, as well as advancing the cause for representative government.

As elections in Iraq have now taken place, and much remains to be seen as to how the Iraqi people will shape their nation, I believe the best option we have as a people is to focus on the exit strategy already illuminated by the President.  In training the Iraqi defense structure, preparing their nation for stability, and safeguarding the interests of the American people in the United States, we are enacting our exit strategy.  When I speak of the interests of the American people, I refer specifically to the continued belief in expanding the crescent of freedom I spoke of months ago, spanning from Morocco to Pakistan.  I know much more is needed in the Middle East than representative republicanism if we are to end terrorism, but I believe it allows the citizenry of these nations the ability to express their frustrations politically rather than violently.  As republicanism is adopted and adapted in this part of the world, diplomacy will become more effective.  I yearn to seek solutions with nations diplomatically, but as long as tyranny pulls the strings of diplomacy, peace can not be secured. 

I’ve long believed that freedom is the intrinsic calling of all peoples, and I feel that peace is the hope of all generations.  I hope we can ultimately continue that march to peace, yet I believe it will only come when the people have a direct voice in their own governments, when they feel empowered to control their own destinies, and are not forced to adopt destructive and radical ideologies to express their sense of powerlessness.  Republicanism gives them such an option, and a means to achieve the peaceful ends to difficult situations.  As satirical as it sounds to say that we must make the world safe for democracy, I believe what we are actually saying is that we are making the world safe for peace.  I hope with all my heart, for the Iraqi people and the American people, that Iraq is one step in that process.  I hope that another war will not be needed to advance the agenda.  Ultimately however, we can not keep our eyes off the end goal.

Comments

[bicyclemark]

Chris I think you're already a far superior writer to any president in the history of the US... sometimes I think I see your future (politics!). HOWEVER... on Panama.. I don't agree. The canal itself, only benefits the government and the contractors who maintain it. Panamanian people themselves still suffer from a very low standard of living and rampant poverty. Are they free to choose their own destiny? Is the freedom to be unemployed or just barely putting food on the table REALLY freedom? That poor word.. freedom.. its thrown around like its the coolest thing since sliced bread.. loses its meaning in my opinion.
You and I definitely share a concern: the future of people in Iraq... the difference being, my concern is that simply calling them FREE doesn't solve the extremely difficult global economy they will be FREE to live it. Low salaries.. unemployment.. economic inequality that grows with every year that goes by... these are also the side effects of these republics that so many of us live in... no?
I guess Im looking for stimulating debate today :) Cheers my friend.

[Jeffery.Bott]

Democracy makes people safer? This seems ethnocentric and is worth inspecting closely. For our administration to spout such rhetoric makes me shutter, is there war bells a ringing? How does such words come across to nations that are not democratic and watched the policy of preemption. Are we looking at the spark that will ignite more than we can handle. I hope you enjoy the military, for the writing is on the wall. The story seems to ring of well placed violence to meet the ideas and dreams of this president, will our generation view war in the same way? I can not wait to see what the next 20 years brings for us, and even though I oppose war except when absolutely necessary (and I mean to avoid an attack not an abstract idea with little to no hard evidence) I am excited about the rest of my career and having a voice of building the reserves in this time of struggle and high operation tempo. I hope you are with me and will stick with the Reserves!