Pre-War Speech: Preview

It's pretty obvious to anyone who knows me, or who has read even a little bit of what I write, that I am extremely critical of the Bush administration and their prosecution of the coming war.

There is very little that I like about this President, and a whole lot that I dislike about what he has been doing.

Tonight, though, I am willing, for the next two hours, to give him the benefit of the doubt. I am going to watch the speech in good faith, and really listen to what he has to say.

For six months, President Bush has tried to convince me that war is necessary and proper. He has not met with much success.

So, in the same way that he has given one last chance to Saddam to disarm, I am going to give him, on the eve of war, one last chance to convince me that this is the right thing to do, and that he will carry out this war in a way that will increase domestic and international security (which, contrary to what a lot of war supporters say, is what the war is truly about. Spreading democracy and saving oppressed people is nice, and is a component of security, but if that was really the highest priority of the United States, we would have occupied most of Africa forty years ago, as well as significant chunks of the Middle East).

So. Here I am.

I'm listening, Mr. President.