Cheney at the AEI

Vice President Cheney just gave a short speech about the Iraq War to a small audience at the American Enterprise Institute. He praised Murtha. He recognized the right to criticize the Iraq War and its conduct. He did not fire any unpatriotic or disloyal to the troops salvos. He made a few brief unremarkable remarks about progress in Iraq. He asserted that the Bush Administration did not lie about prewar intelligence.

Instead he concentrated on one of the prewar justifications for the war. If we leave Iraq, then al Qaeda will take over the country. After watching Richard Perle on CNN yesterday morning, it seems that will be the argument the neo-cons will temporarily use during the holiday season to diffuse the current volatile political situation. Cheney used the word terrorist instead of insurgent to characterize our military opponents in Iraq. That is consistent with resuscitating the terrorist rationale for the war.

Making fine distinctions about the political and religious makeup of Iraqi society was not in vogue before the Iraq War began. The lyric from the Alan Jackson Country Western song about 9/11 encapsulated a lot of the thinking: “I’m not sure I can tell you the difference between Iraq and Iran.” Some people were perversely proud of that ignorance.

The argument I heard very often before the Iraq War was “9/11, Q. E. D.” (I know. I say that a lot.) President Cheney and the neo-cons would like to take us back to those days three years ago. Ask them if you do not believe me.

The American Enterprise Institute is a neo-con think tank and neo-con intellectual bastion. The faces of the audience for the Cheney speech were tense and grim. Inquiring minds abound and abide in all quarters.

Like any revolution the neo-con political revolution must temporarily win the hearts and minds of the citizen. After the revolution is won, the citizens’ opinions can be easily discarded. The neo-cons need some good creative and imaginative talent infused into the Bush Administration to help the cause. The stuff coming from the White House is very boring.

Speaking of creative, how about this? After the December 15 Iraqi elections, the neo-cons could say that Iraq is now a free country with scores of trained Iraqi battalions to secure the country from terrorists. Therefore, we are bringing the troops home at a measured and prudent pace. Q. E. D.

Long live the revolution. It will not be televised due to technical difficulties such as its boring message.