A modest proposal

      14 Comments on A modest proposal

A thought just popped into my head. Obama is going to Ground Zero on Thursday. He should invite George W. Bush to join him. I’m serious. Can you imagine what an amazing American moment that would be? A transcendent moment of unity and celebration: the two presidents together, marking their joint victory over terror and evil. What’s the downside? Obama lives up to his post-partisan, unifying promise, and looks incredibly magnanimous and presidential. Bush gets his chance to bask in the success he so desperately wanted. Everybody wins, most of all America. Make this happen, White House.

P.S. Speaking of Bush, this morning as I listened to my 9/11 anthem, I was particularly moved (again) by the line from his underrated November 2001 speech to the U.N. General Assembly:

The terrorists are violating the tenets of every religion, including the one they invoke. … They encourage murder and suicide in the name of a great faith that forbids both. They dare to ask God’s blessing as they set out to kill innocent men, women and children. But the God of Isaac and Ismail would never answer such a prayer. And a murderer is not a martyr, he is just a murderer.

Bush had some really good speeches in that post-9/11 period, and he delivered them well. He really rose to that occasion, and whatever my issues with the later years of his presidency, I’ll always be grateful to him for that.

14 thoughts on “A modest proposal”

  1. David K.

    When I read this headline I thought you were going to advocate that Obama eats Dubya for some reason…

  3. Joe Mama

    P.S. I really hope I have to eat crow on my prediction — it would be really cool if they were both at Ground Zero. But I have no illusions that Obama is a “post-partisan, unifying” figure.

  5. Alasdair

    Sounds good to me … and even better if those who were the team who got OBL were *also* invited to be there …If they didn’t think that there would be security/safety issues with having the actual Navy Seals there and identified …

  6. Brendan Loy Post author

    That would, of course, be ideal. I suspect it won’t happen, though, not for partisan but for sound military reasons, as you allude. The Bush/Obama thing, though, really should happen. I still can’t think of a substantial downside.

  7. dcl

    Al, there is a strategic military purpose for not identifying the SEALS. There is also a witness protection aspect.

    First, identifying publicly covert military assets renders them useless as covert assets. The SEALS involved in this action are necessarily very high value soldiers. Literally the very best of the very best. It is not strategically wise to throw that out because of one, admittedly very high profile, successful mission.

    The second reason is actually more important. Not knowing who they are protects them and their families from reprisals. Were they known their families especially would be at extremely high risk. It would be hard, if not impossible, to properly protect these soldiers and their families were their identities to become public, especially in a way that gives them anything resembling a normal life.

    I imagine they will be there, but I would also guess that very few people will know anything about that.

    That’s part of the deal they signed up for. They can live with that. Do great things, but nobody will ever know your name or that you were even there. Can you?

  9. Brendan Loy Post author

    No way, maaan. I’m quoting from Bush speeches IN THE FUTURE. 🙂

    Thanks — fixed. That’s the second time I’ve made that error in the last week! (My list of the deadliest U.S. disasters in the last 60 years initially listed #1 as “September 11, 2011.”)

  10. Alasdair

    Perhaps that is a way for President Obama to show some class on the subject – by inviting President Bush to join him in making a September 11, 2011 speech at Ground Zero ?

  11. Brendan Loy Post author

    I think it makes more sense to invite Bush to Ground Zero now. Perhaps along with Clinton, since Osama attacked America on his watch, too. Hell, invite Rudy as well. Bring the whole gang!

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