"State Of Union" Critique
Submitted by rustyc on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: American History
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"State Of Union" Critique
In anticipation of President George W. Bush's State of the Union
address on January 28, 2003, Suzanne Nossel of The Christian Science Monitor outlined in her article, "State of the Union: Will it play in Pretoria?"# three important themes that President Bush must present. First, the President must persuasively explain the details of his proposed invasion of Iraq; secondly, the President must assure the United States and the global community of his support for the United Nations inspections; and thirdly, "the President must outline a vision that extends beyond a war with Iraq, and embraces the crises of AIDS, poverty, and the global environment."#
With respect to the war with Iraq, President Bush, while demonizing
Saddam Hussein as a leader, failed to make an effective case for immediate intervention or for going to war absent broad international support.# As the Seattle Times editorial queried, "Where is the threat that gives urgency to the military mission?"# "Mr. Bush has always done a good job of arguing that Saddam Hussein is dangerous and he did so again last night."# "We all know the longer threat to contain Saddam Hussein's regime is real, but the immediacy to act in the new few months is an argument not yet fully made."#
The only thing Bush has brought to the people since he became President
is insecurity, other than confidence. This certainly isn't good if is he trying to convince the United Nations to support the U.S. declaration of war against Iraq.
The first issue that Bush focuses upon is the mayor crisis in Iraq. "He methodically recounted all the good, though circumstantial, reasons the administration believes "the dictator of Iraq is not disarming...he is deceiving;" and well documented evidence that Mr. Hussein is a cruel despot who uses torture against his own citizens."# His speech linked the body of evidence that Saddam Hussein has continued to amass chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and...
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