Terror Debate

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Four Pillars of the Bush Doctrine

Norman Podhoretz lays out the "Bush Doctrine". The argument here is that we are in a large scale, global war on terror. The Bush Doctrine is a new approach to dealing with terrorism.


  1. Rejection of "Realism". Promotion of democracy.


  2. For decades, free nations tolerated oppression in the Middle East for the sake of stability. In practice, this approach brought little stability and much oppression, so I have changed this policy.
    G.W. Bush, Address to Air Force Academy, June 2, 2004

  3. Remove state support for terrorist networks


  4. ...countries that gave safe haven to terrorists and refused to clean them out were asking the United States to do it for them, and the regimes ruling these countries were also asking to be overthrown in favor of new leaders with democratic aspirations.
    N. Podhoretz, Commentary Magazine, Sept. 2004

  5. Pre-emption


  6. We’ll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.
    G.W. Bush, Statue of the Union Address, January 2002

  7. Conditional supportfor a Palestinian state

  8. Support for a Palestinian state, if the Palestinians elect and support a leader who doesn't support terrorist acts to advance political goals, and accepts the right of Israel to exist.


My question is: What are the alternatives to the Bush Doctrine?