Credability

The analogy is cliche, but apt. The once proud champion, now older, slower, stumbles about the ring. There is blood in his eyes and his face is stamped with pain and confusion. His opponent is being merciful, respectful. He circles the weaving confused and tired opponent attempting to give the champ a chance to end it. The manager in the corner reaches for the towel to signal capitulation before more harm is done, but the battered hulk waves him off and puts his fists in the air signalling he is ready for more.

In the movies this is good stuff. We may have learned through the story (Raging Bull) to dislike this guy, but we admire his courage and purpose, no matter how foolish it seems. It leaves the impression that maybe the champ may get up off the
canvas and prevail. But that's the movies. It is the seam in the story of redemption and grit. It's the conquering of the old west, It's the flight into space. And it's always against all odds.

But when you're President of the United States and the world is waiting for you to just lay down and get it over with, there's a lot more than your pride on the line. We've been back into a corner in this match and not by a superior enemy. We've done this to ourselves. We have no credibility in the worlds eye's because we don't deserve it. We have against the advice of our allies, invaded a sovereign country, because...well you pick the reason of the week.

First it was a preemptive strike against a terrorist sponsoring state that had WMD potential. Than it was because we could build democracy in the middle east. Than for a very short time, it was justified because they tried to kill Bush I, (My daddy). None of these reasons were worth the price that we are now paying. The price is that we can do nothing right in the eyes of the world. Everything we represent is challenged by enemy and friend alike.

And now it has spread to the domestic front. The Bush administration failure to deal with the domestic problems is an extension of outmoded and reactionary politics's we can't afford to continue. But alas, because of our political system, all our president has to do is turn to Rove and Company and wave off the attempt to throw in the towel. There is so much blood in his eyes, he fails to see that one by one his handlers and managers are leaving his corner and sulking off into the dark areas of the arena to shake their heads and wonder how things all came apart