The administration gestured and David Frum barked. Now he’s rethinking the wisdom of lapdoggery:
This over at the FT [Financial Times] is rather more disturbing. The story deals with the emerging attempt within the Bush administration to rename the “Global War on Terror” as the “Struggle Against Violence Extremism.” When I first heard the new term, I thought it had a lot to recommend it. I was cheered to note that Victor Davis Hanson thought so too, and for similar reasons: The new language seemed to expand the problem from the what of terrorism to the who behind the terrorism.
Okay, anyone who actually thought this latest bit of incompetence by the Bush administration had a lot to recommend it should be forced to turn in his pundit’s card immediately. This is a level of monumental cluelessness usually only approached by Maureen Dowd. Now, I understand that it is very, very difficult for the Three Monkeys – even a single-issue Three Monkey like VDH whose work I generally like – to admit to the mere possibility that St. George’s jihad is less than divinely inspired, supremely strategized and brilliantly realized.
But still… if you did not respond to the announcement of The Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism with at least a snort of disbelief, if not a contemptuous guffaw and shake of the head, then you need to have your head examined. If you’re still supporting administration and its conduct of the war – sorry, I meant to say struggle – the mere fact that its loudest cheerleaders are thinkers of this abysmal quality may make you want to reconsider a few things yourself.
What was once tragic but arguably necessary has been transformed into parody piled on top of farce.