Blame President James K. Polk for 9/11:

Via TPM, we learn the president is set to argue that, for an number of reasons, Iraq is like Vietnam, but with the focus on this:

The president will also make the argument that withdrawing from Vietnam emboldened today's terrorists by compromising U.S. credibility ...

Bush is right on the principle, but wrong on the history. The U.S. lost credibility in 1846:

Expansionists after the 1844 election shouted "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!" This slogan [was] the position of [those] who wanted Polk to be as uncompromising in acquiring the Oregon territory as he had been in annexing Texas. Polk ... compromised with the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Aberdeen. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 divided the Oregon Country along the 49th parallel ...

The rest, as they say, is history. According to Bush-logic, Polk's compromising of U.S. credibility directly led to 9/11. Who can disagree with that? Only traitors and evil radical Islamo-fascist demons.

Bush can talk a good game about Vietnam, but clearly the United States has to undo the damage to its credibility in the order in which it took place. The solution to preventing another 9/11 is this:

• Take back all of the Oregon Territory, up to 54°40', from single-payer Canada. (That'll teach 'em to waste money on health care!)
• Push back the North Koreans all the way to the Yalu River. Vindicate MacArthur in the process. ("Old soldiers never die, they just reappear in different forms - like Bill Kristol.")
• Take back Vietnam (South and North)

Then credibility will be restored and Bin Laden will be defeated, even if uncaptured and still at large.

SIDE NOTE: Like Al Gore, Polk was from the "Volunteer State", which goes to show that this country should never elect someone from Tennessee. In 2000, the Supreme Court was wise enough to prevent a second calamity. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Scalia for upending the popular will.


posted by Quiddity at 8/22/2007 12:52:00 AM