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America is a harsher place=20
Hillary Clinton makes a compelling case for why Britain shouldn't treat =
with American conservatism=20
Will Hutton
Sunday July 6, 2003
The Observer=20
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,11581,992312,00.html
The British are gradually being educated about America. President Bush's =
decision to try six suspected al-Qaeda terrorists, including two =
Britons, in a secret military tribunal that could lead to their =
execution is so obviously self-defeating that both Right and Left are =
united in their criticism.=20
Surely the US realises that it must be on the side of law even against =
terrorism; surely it must see that if convictions and executions follow =
from a process in which the military is judge, prosecution and jury, =
every mad criticism of it will seem justified. Even the doe-eyed =
innocents of the Government are beginning to realise what they're up =
against.=20
America is poorly understood in Britain. Above all, we don't understand =
the American Right - its roots, reflex reactions, ambitions and the =
profundity of its ideology. It's been a commonplace for too long that =
Republicans and Democrats are essentially the same and that their =
differences are minuscule. It is a view that has even been held in parts =
of the US, though with ever decreasing conviction as events unfold.=20
The truth is that there is a fundamental fissure. There is the =
pro-federal tradition - a golden thread that runs from the founding =
fathers, through Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Kennedy and Johnson to Bill =
Clinton. And there is the anti-federal tradition that crystallised in =
the south during the American Civil War and which runs as an equally =
golden thread through the key twentieth-century figures of the American =
Right - William Taft, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and now George =
Bush.=20
It is the quintessential American conflict, fuelled by visceral emotions =
over race, sexuality and gender. On the one hand, there is a belief in =
the power of government and rationality to improve the lot of all =
Americans. On the other, there is a belief in the rawest system of =
individual penalties and rewards to create a conservative concept of =
good Christian character - vast incomes for the entrepreneurial, vicious =
punishment for the antisocial. Nothing should be allowed to inhibit the =
prosecution of these allegedly natural instincts.=20
This is the yeast of American politics, to which 11 September has given =
a new twist, and against which Guantanamo Bay will play out. If Bush =
gives ground on this, he will have compromised the very essence of what =
it means to be an American conservative, a political mistake as epic as =
his father's reversal on his famous promise not to increase taxes.=20
It is also, as I watched Bill and Hillary Clinton expertly work =
Kensington Palace's Orangery at her book launch in London last week, why =
these two trigger so much enmity from the US Right. For all their =
evident flaws, they remain the best, most charismatic exponents of the =
federalist, pro-government tradition in the US. They find the words best =
to express it and can build the coalitions to make it happen even in an =
US not beset by recession or war. And they can do it even when the =
Conservatives hold so many aces - from cash to pure mendacity.=20
As you read Hillary Clinton's account of her years in the White House in =
her autobiography, Living History , you get a handle on why she didn't =
leave her husband, despite betrayal and what she describes as her =
singular loneliness as the Lewinsky affair broke. It was too big a prize =
to offer her elemental enemies and the tradition which she represents =
was too important to her.=20
The whole apparatus of the Starr inquiry, which tried to capitalise on =
Bill Clinton's infidelity, turning it into charges of criminality and =
attempted impeachment, had its roots in what she herself described a =
vast right-wing conspiracy. It is that same network and culture that is =
now animating American foreign policy and the choices made in =
Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.=20
It is the other big book just published on Clinton's presidency - Sidney =
Blumenthal's The Clinton Wars - that gets to the heart of this network =
and tries to locate the Clinton presidency in the pantheon of the US's =
progressive tradition. I defy anybody to finish it and not be per suaded =
that Blumenthal has a powerful case; it is a primer on the politics, =
networks and processes of the American Right. I would like to make it a =
compulsory part of Messrs Blair, Straw, Hoon and Blunkett's reading list =
this summer. If they knew what they were dealing with, they would be =
more wary about signing the one-sided extradition treaty with the US - =
America can extradite our nationals with no due legal process in Britain =
but not the other way round.=20
And surely Geoff Hoon would not be so ready to reform the command =
structures of our armed forces so they can be more easily commanded by =
American officers, as he recently proposed. This would be an =
extraordinary proposal in normal times; in today's context, it is barely =
credible. Britain has to keep some reserve in our association with =
conservative America.=20
Blumenthal's account is no snow job. He is clear-sighted and harsh about =
Clinton's political misjudgments, whether over health care or gays in =
the military. Nor does he forgive Clinton's sexual adventures. But his =
blow-by-blow account of how the Right exploited any innuendo, regardless =
of the truth, to undermine a Democratic presidency is singularly =
revealing, as is the uncritical complicity of too much of the American =
media. America's best lawyers spent $60 million to uncover not a shred =
of bad practice in the Whitewater affair.=20
Starr, as Blumenthal lethally reveals, was no impartial prosecutor but a =
conservative partisan. In Britain, we have no notion of politics =
prosecuted like this.=20
While it may be true that the Clinton legacy, for all Blumenthal's =
efforts at talking it up, has not proved very enduring and was =
contingent on an economic boom that was only partly of Clinton's making, =
none the less there were substantial social gains in what has suddenly =
become a very cold climate. Clinton, we can be sure, would not be =
presiding over military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay. It's only when you =
witness the American Right in its full majesty that you recognise =
Clinton's achievement.=20
The reception of the two books has been warm, warmer than either author =
might have expected. Blumenthal, in particular, has triggered an urgent =
debate about why the American media treated what we now know as lies as =
reportable facts or 'allegations', putting his critics on the defensive. =
Meanwhile, Howard Dean has emerged as front runner for the Democratic =
nomination as an unapologetic critic of Iraq.=20
'The Clinton Wars' are transmuting into a wider and bitter conflict over =
how America should be governed and its relationship with the rest of the =
world. Britain should be neutral in this internal battle. The calamity =
of our recent diplomacy is that we find ourselves on the side of the =
conservatives, a mistake that will cost us dear.=20
_______________________________________________
We see once again, the Bush war machine has transmuted American politics =
into an "Us" vs. "Them" juggernaut.
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"CenturyOldst BT"><STRONG><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D5>America is a=20
harsher place</FONT></STRONG> <BR><BR><FONT =
face=3Darial,helvetica,sans-serif=20
size=3D3>Hillary Clinton makes a compelling case for why Britain =
shouldn't treat=20
with American conservatism</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT =
face=3DGeneva,Arial,sans-serif=20
size=3D2><B>Will Hutton<BR>Sunday July 6, 2003<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.observer.co.uk/">The Observer</A></B> =
<BR><BR></FONT><FONT=20
face=3DGeneva,Arial,sans-serif size=3D2></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"CenturyOldst BT"><FONT face=3DGeneva,Arial,sans-serif =
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,11581,992312,00.=
html">http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,11581,992312,00.ht=
ml</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"CenturyOldst BT"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"CenturyOldst BT"><FONT face=3DGeneva,Arial,sans-serif =
size=3D2>The=20
British are gradually being educated about America. President Bush's =
decision to=20
try six suspected al-Qaeda terrorists, including two Britons, in a =
secret=20
military tribunal that could lead to their execution is so obviously=20
self-defeating that both Right and Left are united in their criticism. =
</DIV>
<P>Surely the US realises that it must be on the side of law even =
against=20
terrorism; surely it must see that if convictions and executions follow =
from a=20
process in which the military is judge, prosecution and jury, every mad=20
criticism of it will seem justified. Even the doe-eyed innocents of the=20
Government are beginning to realise what they're up against.=20
<P>America is poorly understood in Britain. Above all, we don't =
understand the=20
American Right - its roots, reflex reactions, ambitions and the =
profundity of=20
its ideology. It's been a commonplace for too long that Republicans and=20
Democrats are essentially the same and that their differences are =
minuscule. It=20
is a view that has even been held in parts of the US, though with ever=20
decreasing conviction as events unfold.=20
<P>The truth is that there is a fundamental fissure. There is the =
pro-federal=20
tradition - a golden thread that runs from the founding fathers, through =
Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Kennedy and Johnson to Bill Clinton. And there =
is the=20
anti-federal tradition that crystallised in the south during the =
American Civil=20
War and which runs as an equally golden thread through the key =
twentieth-century=20
figures of the American Right - William Taft, Barry Goldwater, Ronald =
Reagan and=20
now George Bush.=20
<P>It is the quintessential American conflict, fuelled by visceral =
emotions over=20
race, sexuality and gender. On the one hand, there is a belief in the =
power of=20
government and rationality to improve the lot of all Americans. On the =
other,=20
there is a belief in the rawest system of individual penalties and =
rewards to=20
create a conservative concept of good Christian character - vast incomes =
for the=20
entrepreneurial, vicious punishment for the antisocial. Nothing should =
be=20
allowed to inhibit the prosecution of these allegedly natural instincts. =
<P>This is the yeast of American politics, to which 11 September has =
given a new=20
twist, and against which Guantanamo Bay will play out. If Bush gives =
ground on=20
this, he will have compromised the very essence of what it means to be =
an=20
American conservative, a political mistake as epic as his father's =
reversal on=20
his famous promise not to increase taxes.=20
<P>It is also, as I watched Bill and Hillary Clinton expertly work =
Kensington=20
Palace's Orangery at her book launch in London last week, why these two =
trigger=20
so much enmity from the US Right. For all their evident flaws, they =
remain the=20
best, most charismatic exponents of the federalist, pro-government =
tradition in=20
the US. They find the words best to express it and can build the =
coalitions to=20
make it happen even in an US not beset by recession or war. And they can =
do it=20
even when the Conservatives hold so many aces - from cash to pure =
mendacity.=20
<P>As you read Hillary Clinton's account of her years in the White House =
in her=20
autobiography, Living History , you get a handle on why she didn't leave =
her=20
husband, despite betrayal and what she describes as her singular =
loneliness as=20
the Lewinsky affair broke. It was too big a prize to offer her elemental =
enemies=20
and the tradition which she represents was too important to her.=20
<P>The whole apparatus of the Starr inquiry, which tried to capitalise =
on Bill=20
Clinton's infidelity, turning it into charges of criminality and =
attempted=20
impeachment, had its roots in what she herself described a vast =
right-wing=20
conspiracy. It is that same network and culture that is now animating =
American=20
foreign policy and the choices made in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo =
Bay.=20
<P>It is the other big book just published on Clinton's presidency - =
Sidney=20
Blumenthal's The Clinton Wars - that gets to the heart of this network =
and tries=20
to locate the Clinton presidency in the pantheon of the US's progressive =
tradition. I defy anybody to finish it and not be per suaded that =
Blumenthal has=20
a powerful case; it is a primer on the politics, networks and processes =
of the=20
American Right. I would like to make it a compulsory part of Messrs =
Blair,=20
Straw, Hoon and Blunkett's reading list this summer. If they knew what =
they were=20
dealing with, they would be more wary about signing the one-sided =
extradition=20
treaty with the US - America can extradite our nationals with no due =
legal=20
process in Britain but not the other way round.=20
<P>And surely Geoff Hoon would not be so ready to reform the command =
structures=20
of our armed forces so they can be more easily commanded by American =
officers,=20
as he recently proposed. This would be an extraordinary proposal in =
normal=20
times; in today's context, it is barely credible. Britain has to keep =
some=20
reserve in our association with conservative America.=20
<P>Blumenthal's account is no snow job. He is clear-sighted and harsh =
about=20
Clinton's political misjudgments, whether over health care or gays in =
the=20
military. Nor does he forgive Clinton's sexual adventures. But his =
blow-by-blow=20
account of how the Right exploited any innuendo, regardless of the =
truth, to=20
undermine a Democratic presidency is singularly revealing, as is the =
uncritical=20
complicity of too much of the American media. America's best lawyers =
spent $60=20
million to uncover not a shred of bad practice in the Whitewater affair. =
<P>Starr, as Blumenthal lethally reveals, was no impartial prosecutor =
but a=20
conservative partisan. In Britain, we have no notion of politics =
prosecuted like=20
this.=20
<P>While it may be true that the Clinton legacy, for all Blumenthal's =
efforts at=20
talking it up, has not proved very enduring and was contingent on an =
economic=20
boom that was only partly of Clinton's making, none the less there were=20
substantial social gains in what has suddenly become a very cold =
climate.=20
Clinton, we can be sure, would not be presiding over military tribunals =
in=20
Guantanamo Bay. It's only when you witness the American Right in its =
full=20
majesty that you recognise Clinton's achievement.=20
<P>The reception of the two books has been warm, warmer than either =
author might=20
have expected. Blumenthal, in particular, has triggered an urgent debate =
about=20
why the American media treated what we now know as lies as reportable =
facts or=20
'allegations', putting his critics on the defensive. Meanwhile, Howard =
Dean has=20
emerged as front runner for the Democratic nomination as an unapologetic =
critic=20
of Iraq.=20
<P>'The Clinton Wars' are transmuting into a wider and bitter conflict =
over how=20
America should be governed and its relationship with the rest of the =
world.=20
Britain should be neutral in this internal battle. The calamity of our =
recent=20
diplomacy is that we find ourselves on the side of the conservatives, a =
mistake=20
that will cost us dear. </P>
<P>_______________________________________________</P>
<P>We see once again, the Bush war machine has transmuted American =
politics into=20
an "Us" vs. "Them" juggernaut.</FONT></P></FONT></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_00A4_01C343B9.17464DC0--
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