The U.K.'s redoubtable Oliver Kamm pauses to dissect Howard Dean during the course of a rumination on the right way to think about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The populism that has afflicted the Democrats' recent campaigns is the speediest way to ensure this party of minorities remains a minority party, and deservedly so. Howard Dean demonstrated his unfitness to be President several months ago with his judgement on the overthrow of Saddam Hussein:Posted by Alan at September 19, 2003 09:55 PM"We've gotten rid of him. I suppose that's a good thing."But I understate. A man who so grudgingly weighs the question of Saddam's departure is devoid of imagination, public-spiritedness and internationalist principle. He is not a reliable compass for humane sentiment let alone the highest office of state. Being a leftist myself, I am painfully aware that candidates of the Left do not get elected to executive office if they're perceived as untrustworthy on issues of security: McGovern, Foot, Lafontaine, Rau and the serial election loser Shimon Peres are all testament to the rule. Never mind what else he believes: if Dean is unmoved by the ousting of a tyrant who modelled his rule on Stalin and Hitler, he is untrustworthy to exercise authority in the public interest.