Progressivism & Escalation: Two Ships Colliding In The Night

By Steve Hynd

Spencer Ackerman does a great job of being an impartial journalist so he shouldn't come in for too much mocking, but he's posted his own position on the Afghanistan escalation in a way that needs to be mentioned and mocked just once. The post is titled "I Guess I Should Say Where My Head Is At On Escalation In Afghanistan" and where his head is at is firmly a posteriori only not in a good way.

Short version: Al Qaida is so scary a threat that, all quibbles aside, its worth thousands of Iraqis and Afghans and US troops dead, an "accidental empire" and not being able to afford any progressive domestic policies. But that's got nothing to do with being a progressive, honest guv! Progressivism and the occupation are just "two ships passing in the night".

Ummm...no. That's so obvious a priori I don't feel it really needs arguing in detail. Suffice it to say that being too scared to stick to our principles means the terrorists win.

Spencer's commenters are worth a read too.

Comments

[Spenc/r Ackerm/n]

This is a very good observation, and well-taken.