THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 45, March 4, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF'S LIBERAL PROBLEM
By Paul Walfiekd
Idealism, even when vilified, is still looked at with having a sense of innocence. There is always the feeling that whatever the
consequences of an idealist's endeavor, the intentions were good and a pat on the head is still called for.
It's a sense that criticizing can on the one hand be tempered, while, at the same time, in- crease the stature of the critic. The critic sees himself as all wise, and the object of his scorn is at worst, misguided.
Nicholas Kristof, in a February 18, 2003, New York Times article entitled "Mr. Bush's Liberal Problem," looks back romantically on endeavors that he claims were Liberally inspired and, therefore. made a lot of sense at the time, but, because the endeavors were also "idealistic," they did not work out well in the long run.
According to Mr. Kristof, the Liberal's idealistic decimation of the U.S. military led to a smaller number of soldier's to perform humanitarian functions in Bosnia and Afghani- stan, and the Liberal's idealistic constraints placed on the CIA "impair[ed] intelligence collection." Unlike in the other examples, Mr. Kristof, in the instance of idealistic impairment of intelligence collection, inexplicably has no example of what a severely impaired intelligence service can mean to America. Possibly, the experience of 9-11 is just too well known to need mentioning.
Mr. Kristof goes on to explain that the Liberals were able to dismantle the sweatshops of Bangladesh and Cambodia (I'm sure that will be news to the citizens of those two countries), only to have them replaced by teenage prostitution rings populated by the young girls forced out of their jobs in the sweatshops. For Mr. Kristof, there was no prostitution in Southeast Asia previously.
The Liberals were also responsible for the elimination of the middle class in Myanmar (formerly Burma). The Liberals, because they imposed sanctions on the vile, repres- sive, and tyrannical regime in Myanmar, propped up military dictators and destroyed the middle class there. Just how big was the middle class in Myanmar before sanctions were imposed and how kind was the leader of Myanmar prior to the imposition of sanctions? Mr. Kristof can't be bothered with details. He wants to make a point instead.
Liberals have the best intentions, intentions Mr. Kristof doesn't name. When it comes to President Bush, however, Kristof starts naming.
President Bush has become an idealist of sorts, for Mr. Kristof. Mainland China has a one-baby policy. Couples may have one child, but no more. According to Mr. Kristof, President Bush became so outraged by China forcing women to have abortions, that the U.S. government has now decided not to spend 34 million dollars on the United Nations Population Fund.
Mr. Kristof has, like all on the political Left, determined that the world's problems begin and end with America.
Check out the logic. If America stops giving money and aid to some governments, some of their population may become prostitutes, their middle class destroyed, and their former just and kind leaders will become evil tyrants, which all can be traced back to America's action, inaction, or both.
The Liberals maintain their high "Progressive" thinking definition and interpretation of cause and consequence: The locals, people of the world who became less than expected, remain innocents who, but for the United States, would have all become philosopher kings.
The United States, in the minds of the Left, is no longer a benefactor, but rather an in- tegral part of every person, government, and nation in the world. America does not offer assistance or aid to other nations to solve their own problems; instead, America created the problems, has the solutions to those problems, and, depending upon the "idealism" of the particular American presidential leadership team and administration, solves prob- lems or causes them. America is no longer an independent nation, but rather, it is a bor- derless, father figure responsible for all the children of the world.
For Kristof: "The upshot is that women and babies are dying in Africa because of Mr. Bush's idealism."
Mr. Kristof wrote the article calling Mr. Bush an idealist and pointed out the pitfalls of pursuing some goals from that perspective. Using Mr. Bush's determination to not fund a pro-abortion group and have the United States seen as being part of a campaign to raise abortion awareness, Mr. Kristof is, in fact, displaying a very telling aspect of the Liberal mind.
Of course, you have to assume that it is America's obligation to fund the world and that meeting this obligation is not optional. Mr. Kristof assumes that as a "given."
President Bush is seen as "idealistic" and wrong for wanting to use the United Nations and regional nations to reach an accord with North Korea. According to Mr. Kristof, America needs to tackle the North Korea problem one on one, the U.S.A. and North Korea, alone and together. However, if the U.S.A. wants to tackle the problem with Iraq, we need to use the UN. Somehow that makes sense to the Lefties.
Then there is the "axis of evil," which, according to Mr. Kristof and the Left, is "the Conservative version of Liberal shibboleths like 'Make love, not war,' and [others] equally hollow." Iraq has chemical and biological weapons, Iran is building a nuclear weapons program, North Korea has nukes, and they all have shown a willingness to share their "bounty" with terrorists. Yet, the New York Times gives Mr. Kristof space in their paper for Mr. Kristof to write. Even idealists should have a problem with that.
Idealism is generally understood to be either living in or in pursuit of an "ideal" world. For the idealist, what is in the imagination is reality and reality itself is not. According to Mr. Kristof's "reality," America is not just the world's sole superpower. America is a supreme being.
For some, Mr. Kristof is being "realistic." For some, Mr. Kristof is just being another Leftwinger and, at the same time, being "idealistic," precisely the same thing he accuses President Bush of being and criticizes him for it. Some may even say that Mr. Kristof is as dimwitted as fellow New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.
But for some, Mr. Kristof is using a simple story to further promote and project a bank- rupt, immoral political ideology, while, at the same time, imposing on America and its people an obligation and responsibility to not only cure the world's ills, but to feel guilty if America fails to do so.
More on Liberals, Statists, Socialists, & Other Leftists
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and post-graduate study in behavioral and analyt- ical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: paul.walfield@cox.net
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