Lincolnesque

Is Bush Lincolnesque? In terms of virtues, not so much. But when it comes to mistakes, Bush has enlarged on a classic Lincoln blunder.

When the Civil War began, Lincoln announced a blockade of the southern ports, a term used in a war between belligerents, instead of announcing that he was closing the ports of the south, as a legitimate government would do with the ports of a region illegally in rebellion. This was all the hook the British needed to hang their hat of blockade-running trade on.

Bush took this mistake to a new level when he announced a War on Terror instead of demanding that international law enforcement round up the criminals. That, combined with the invasion and subsequent mistreatment of Iraq, gave the terrorists legal standing in the world of warfare. When the Bush gang renounced the rule of international law they put themselves, legally speaking, on the level of the terrorists.

For Americans, this is all kinda like watching your wife strip to her panties and jump in the mudwrestling arena. But nowhere near as fun.