I'm not sure yet, but I think I see a subtle but profound shift in the debate with the left, that reminds me of the first few rocks tumbling down a steep slope just before an avalanche.
1, Instead of being able to claim, pretty much without any factual challenge, that Bush lied about the Saddam/Qaeda relationship they've had to retreat behind a "collaborative relationship" barricade.
2. Now that we've found (by accident) a binary chemical weapon that had to have been manufactured after the sanctions began, they've been reduced to the somewhat implausible theory that this partaker WMD was somehow imported into Iraq, after the fall of the regime.
3 Now that it begins to appear that Niger may really have traded in Uranium with Iraq, Josh Marshall is reduced to making vague and ominous intimations about deep counterplots involving mysterious "bad actor individuals and groups" in an attempt to explain new evidence.
4. And now that we have, in fact, transferred sovereignty to Iraq according to a formula and timetable worked out at the UN they've been reduced to making the implausible claim that we somehow managed to hang on to some invisible threads of Iraqi sovereignty, apparently pulling the wool over Chirac and Schroeder's eyes.
I'll have to consider this a bit more, but off the top of my head I think the tables have turned. Their arguments have been placed under some much heavier burdens than they've been used to bearing, and if much more is added to that burden the whole mountainside may break loose.
Posted by Demosophist at June 28, 2004 11:55 PM | TrackBackTo the left: na na na na na!
Posted by: Jane at June 30, 2004 09:32 AMExpect the bar to rise again.
Posted by: Ben at July 1, 2004 03:48 PMScott, I think I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm getting the feel of a tipping point looming on the horizon somewhere. Or at least the notion that the Iraq-as-disaster story is about to jump the shark.
Posted by: Bravo Romeo Delta at July 6, 2004 02:41 AMThe Left is now clarifying "NO WMDS" to mean Saddam and Iraq had no WMDS AT THE TIME THE US COALITION INVADED IRAQ IN SUPPORT OF UN RESOLUTIONS, as compared to their original premise that there were NEVER, EVER, ANY WMDS, i.e. Bush, the GOP, and America "LIED"! Rest assured Bush and GOP-led America, however, is still guilty of "DISOBEYING" THE UNO BY OBEYING IT, as well as still responsible for any, each, and all President Clinton's failures to protect America before and after Osama declared FATWA agianst America in the late 90's, even while Dubya was still just Governor of Texas! Dubya was State Governor and National President, and the UFOS at ROSWELL PROVES IT [ha-ha]
Posted by: JosephMendiola at July 6, 2004 03:30 AM