TBV Feature: The Leadership Challenge

An interesting comment from briareus suggests:

"The sooner the Bush administration realizes its goals of attacking Iran, Syria, and the Shia militias in Lebanon, the more likely the administration will collapse in the maelstrom before it achieves a viable police state."

My thoughts:

I think there are practical political arguments that can be made for standing back and letting the ruinous policies and disastrous incompetence of the ruling party play itself out in full view of the voters, but it is a short-term, tactical view - not in any sense a strategy for leading the nation. In some ways, the cheerleaders for the Bush regime have a point when they mock Democrats for employing that tactic - it is impossible to lead when you have your hands in your pockets.

Even if we must, as the loyal opposition, sometimes step back and watch the neo-cons shoot themselves in the foot, we still have to raise our own voices in support of ideas and values that we would follow were we in power. Anthing less is abdication.

We cannot lead America to a better future by watching Bush fail in the present. Our future is being made in this present moment, and we must not be satisfied to watch and wait.

I believe we have to revive a positive vision and believe in our ability to realize it. We cannot define ourselves soley by what we oppose.

| +Save/Share | |