The latest print version of National Review focuses much of its attention on the good, the bad, and the ugly from George W. Bush?s eight years in office.
Among the more interesting observations are those of Mark Steyn, who has spent much of his time in recent years warning about a crisis in the ongoing task of preserving Western civilization. Steyn concludes his latest ?Happy Warrior? column with this warning:
A couple of years back, over in The Corner at NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE, some of the more bloodthirsty lads were demanding to know why Bush didn?t do this and why Bush didn?t do that. I forget what it was now ? knock off Assad, freeze Saudi bank accounts, whatever. John Podhoretz responded that we were missing the point, which was this: Bush was as good as it was going to get.
The electors have made a bet that we can return to that happy capering playground at the Summit of the Americas where all the great questions have been settled and indulgent governments can subsidize their own anarchists. If 9/11 ultimately revealed America?s self-imposed constraints, November 4 is already understood as a comprehensive repudiation even of that qualified resolve. Like I said: For America?s enemies, that?s useful to know.
