Guides For The Perplexed

The Season of Peace is upon us, which may partly explain the war-weariness we read and hear about all over the mainstream media. But now that we've grown more wary of mainstream reportage, we've learned to ask whether some of this weariness is staged, or at least fanned by the press. The lefties smell blood and are enlisting support in Congress and the media. While it's not the sons and daughters of the left-wing loudmouths who are suffering and dying (well, except for Casey Sheehan, God rest his soul), the lefties always seem to know what's "best" for our country. And like circling sharks, and with the same sense of integrity, duty, and history that those animals have, the mainstream press and the Congressional Democrats are responding to the chum in the water thrown by their left-wing instigators. Calls for "immediate withdrawal" are increasingly being made by the usual suspects (and some unusual ones as well), even if they add, in a stage whisper, "by some time in 2007, contingent on us training the Iraqis". The muffled and confusing accusations from these same liberals that Bush lied to get us into the war are starting to sound more like the scripted accusations from the far left. Never mind that most of these same politicians left unequivocal paper trails calling for the same things (and more) that Bush did before the war. For some, the trail leads back well into the Clinton years. And then there are the lies and obfuscations of former government officials, obviously grandstanding as they grind their axes (I thought ambassadors were supposed to be subtle when they lied...)

The public is confused in this war of accusations. Where can someone go to get the straight story? First, the conservative blogosphere has been up-to-the-minute in exposing each lie by the liberal media and each shameful, politically convenient volte-face of our elected representatives. Bloggers like Instapundit, Powerline, and Michelle Malkin are sure to keep your blood pressure high as they keep your finger on the pulse of political perfidy. The Barking Moonbat Early Warning System will do the same with an indelicate sense of humor. And the Political Teen provides video of the perpetrators so you can watch their faces twitch as they lie. All this is great for the day-to-day stuff. But what about the big picture? I can suggest three sources.

First, the national conservative opinion journals, with more resources to dig into stories and more time to digest events, provide some of the best sources for understanding the Iraq war and its many side issues. Stephen Hayes at the Weekly Standard has been particularly effective at laying out the truth in the buildup to the war, the WMD question, Wilsongate, and all the rest. Second, while some political bloggers exist from moment to moment, exposing lies, linking to evidence, and parrying thrusts by lefties, others have made their mark by offering analysis with a broader view and with more historical hindsight. Seattle blogger Jim Miller does a bit more digestion and analysis than most bloggers. A good example is his review of the basics on Sadam's WMD's. Finally, there is Commentary Magazine. Commentary was one of the important contributors to the foundation of the neoconservative movement in the 1970s. This monthly still provides some of the best perspective on many of the political, cultural, and economic issues of the day, particularly on issues pertaining to the Middle East. The estimable Norman Podhoretz was famous for the long and well reasoned pieces that he wrote while editing that magazine. He still contributes occasionally in his retirement. His essay Who Is Lying About Iraq? appears in the December issue, and is available online.