Does it really matter what he says any more? We already know the “left fringe” is now the true voice of the Democratic party. If anything, they should be encouraged to repeat themselves at length in as many and as public venues as possible.

Bill Clinton’s other points should not surprise ANYONE who followed his Presidency and they are consistent with his behavior and prior political statements. Bill Clinton like most Democrats sincerely believes that the “tide of Democracy,” Free Trade (NAFTA), the Internet, and NGOs will change the world without the need for violence through talk-shops like Davos. He has been and always will be allergic to any substantial military force where casualties are taken, and political prices paid. His comments about the US and UK “image” abroad are indicative of this mindset.

Fundamentally, Democrats are in denial about the conflict we face, which dates back to at least the 1980′s and certainly from the fall of the Soviet Union: the struggle between the Islamic World’s asymmetrical attempt to destroy the Western World (including China, Japan, India, as well as the US and Europe) and the Western World’s movement to unify global culture. The World ultimately will be comprised of societies under the rule of law made by men and women, not handed down from God unchangeable, with respect/freedom for women, religious and ethnic minorities, intellectual openness, and scientific advancement, or it will resemble globally the thuggish tribalism of the Taliban. Victory will come through whichever society can change the other; there will be no compromise either way and the idea of a State-to-State Westphalian conflict is as outdated as the Holy Roman Empire.

Clinton repeated the “it’s tough” mantra about making decisions regarding terrorists, admitted he himself held them for extended periods of time, and flat out said he believed the framework should be of law enforcement. In a situation where we face not organized states but ideological trans-national groups that do things that make no sense from objective state interests: 1993 WTC bombing, 1998 Embassy bombings, 2000 USS Cole bombing, 9/11; we cannot afford this framework, particularly when our enemies, a loosely organized ideological coalition are escalating our civilian casualties and pay no attention to the Westphalian rules of warfare. The Islamic world would view as completely legitimate and justified the nuking of as many American cities as possible to create millions of casualties. This calls not for torture of Gitmo prisoners but certainly abandoning the State-to-State model of warfare. Hence the efficacy of shooting our prisoners when all information has been extracted, and the abandonment of the stupid PC-Multicultural models of internment (no Korans or religious observances, they should exist in our world not theirs).

Clinton is not bad, evil, or traitorous. He simply intellectually cannot conceive that his framework of Davos, NGOs, the Bill Gates Foundation, law enforcement, global hearts-and-minds, etc. are totally irrelevant to a conflict between two completely incompatible civilizations being pushed together through technology, where only one can ultimately exist. Pretty much the entire Dem Party shares this failing.

WRT Clinton’s affair or not? Who cares though I’d say he as a man should do better by Hillary and Chelsea, who will be hurt by this if true; Hillary should sue the guy Klein and I hope she does.

The problem of anti-Semitism and wild conspiracy theories in the Democratic Party is serious and widespread to elected and Party officials; Dean and other leaders have not articulated a set of formal policies in opposition to GWB; who has been timid in facing the new reality described above. Dems seem to think that by concocting conspiracy theories and wishing real hard to go back to a pre-9/11 world it will happen. That’s not a strategy for success, no matter how inept Bush faces the world he at least has some glimmerings of the reality of the situation.

OK then, just charge for the refreshments and the stationary.