Alex Massie Alex Massie

Let’s re-engage with John Edwards foreign policy vision

PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, STRENGTH THROUGH JOY, JOY THROUGH WAR

Apparently policing the world really is like cleaning up Gotham:

“In this decade, for the first time in human history, half of the world’s population will live in cities. I know from personal experience that when security is reliably established in a troubled part of a city, normal life rapidly reestablishes itself: shops open, people move back in, children start playing ball on the sidewalks again, and soon a decent and law-abiding community returns to life. The same is true in world affairs. Disorder in the world’s bad neighborhoods tends to spread. Tolerating bad behavior breeds more bad behavior. But concerted action to uphold international standards will help peoples, economies, and states to thrive. Civil society can triumph over chaos if it is backed by determined action.”

The logic of this, clearly, is that the US can expect to be paying for many more military adventures. Rudy can’t see a mole without wanting to whack it. That might work on a city scale, but it’s absurd to think that clearing hookers and pan handlers out of Times Square is somehow a blueprint for foreign policy.

Then there’s this:

“We must preserve the gains made by the U.S.A. Patriot Act and not unrealistically limit electronic surveillance or legal interrogation.”

What that means, of course, is more torture.

UPDATE: James Joyner – no hippie he – says Giuliani is “dangerously stupid” and has lots of other good things to say. Also nice round-up of reactions.

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