Talk about a good week for President Bush, Americans and democracy-loving peoples around the planet.
Fresh off the heels of an extraordinarily ambitious and upbeat Inaugural address, President Bush, in his State of the Union address, let Americans know just how serious he is about ending tyranny in our world. And the proof is in the pudding.
Right this minute, ballots are being counted in the first free election in Iraq in 50 years. Terrorists threatened to wash the streets with the blood of Iraqi voters, yet defiant Iraqis turned out and instead washed their fingers in purple ink. Impressed by Iraq's success, countries like Syria, Lebanon and Jordan are all bowing to the pressure of incremental electoral reforms.
Or how about that GI Joe action figure the terrorists threatened to behead if America did not bow to its knees? Polls be damned, when terrorists start "capturing" action figures, that shows me we're doing something right.
Perhaps the strongest symbol of America's resolve was one moment during Bush's address. Upon being recognized by the president, the mother of a fallen American soldier was met with a full-on bear hug from an Iraqi woman whose father was murdered by Saddam Hussein. The hug was real - and ripe with symbolism. It goes to show you that America's sacrifices are indeed appreciated by those we have freed. Not an eye was dry in the room. I watched this show of unity between two women whose paths in life may never have met were it not for America's good-willed foreign policy. Looks like freedom really is on the march.
Here at home, President Bush set out an equally ambitious agenda to promote ownership and responsibility.
The president's push to fix social security should come as good news to young people - every one of whom is being ripped off by the current system. Bush also made it clear to anti-reform Democrats that voluntary personal retirement accounts will not affect Americans older than 55, nor stop the rotation of the Earth.
Of course our buddies on the left will still find some way to rain on our parade. Or will they protest it? Whichever they choose, they're running out of ideas to offer, much less things to say. To argue that Social Security isn't broken and that elections in the heart of the Middle East aren't a big deal would be foolish.
Freedom's on the march and America's moving forward. Hop on.
