The Global Test
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:38 pm
I know many of you hate John Kerry while many others hate George Bush. I, for one, dislike Bush greatly while I at least respect Kerry. Why is a long story.
At any rate, I was recalling a debate where Kerry mentioned a "global test." He said:
"No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America.
But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons."
I'm thinking Kerry would have been better served if had said "universal test." To me his meaning is clear. What makes the test "global" or better in my mind "universal" is than ANY leader of ANY country has a test to pass before he acts preemptively. He has to make his population and the rest of the world "understand fully why you're doing what you're doing." He has to be able to prove to the world that he "did it for legitimate reasons." Again, what makes the test "global" is that any leader would have to pass the test.
Bush morphed "global test" into this:
President Bush said John Kerry's debate remark that U.S. preemptive military action should be subject to a "global test" would give other nations a "veto over American national security decisions. When our country's in danger the president's job is not to take an international poll."
This twisting of words was a very good move by Bush and Kerry's use of the word "global" rather than "universal" in this context was yet another oral gaffe.
Comments?
DarthMonk
At any rate, I was recalling a debate where Kerry mentioned a "global test." He said:
"No president, through all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America.
But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons."
I'm thinking Kerry would have been better served if had said "universal test." To me his meaning is clear. What makes the test "global" or better in my mind "universal" is than ANY leader of ANY country has a test to pass before he acts preemptively. He has to make his population and the rest of the world "understand fully why you're doing what you're doing." He has to be able to prove to the world that he "did it for legitimate reasons." Again, what makes the test "global" is that any leader would have to pass the test.
Bush morphed "global test" into this:
President Bush said John Kerry's debate remark that U.S. preemptive military action should be subject to a "global test" would give other nations a "veto over American national security decisions. When our country's in danger the president's job is not to take an international poll."
This twisting of words was a very good move by Bush and Kerry's use of the word "global" rather than "universal" in this context was yet another oral gaffe.
Comments?
DarthMonk
