In this column last week, on the eve of his second-term inauguration, I had
urged our readers to give George W. Bush another try in the hope that much of the misplaced over-the-board first-term hawkish rhetoric would likely be replaced with mellowed wisdom and matching diplomatic maneuvers to steer America back to multilateralism rather than the gung-ho unilateralism which became the hallmark of this administration.
As we look back over his second term inauguration speech delivered last Thursday, much though I would like to hope otherwise, my initial reaction is simply this: morning shows the day! If there were anything singular for which his speech would be remembered, it was his repeated references to American ideals of freedom and democracy, and how it was his chosen mission to 'export' them throughout the world. The experiences of the last four years appear to have only emboldened his monochrome worldview.
"The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands," Bush said. "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world. ... We will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary."
Bush used one of the most evocative words in the English-language 'freedom' more than 40 times during the speech. Unless we all got it wrong, (and I would be very happy to eat my words if he stood up tomorrow to say he meant otherwise) his speech laid out a highly discomforting view of the next four years. He came across as the man who sincerely believes that he not only enjoys an electoral mandate from his people but also one from the Almighty to relentlessly pursue his agenda.