The Hug
John Podhoretz was a guest on our radio show last night. One of the things we talked about was The Hug. This morning, it's the subject of John's column in the New York Post:
President Bush spoke at great length about Social Security reform on Wednesday — but all anybody wants to talk about is The Hug. The president sent a clear message to the potentates of the Middle East that they need to start thinking about liberty — but all that seems to have paled next to The Hug.The Hug is now one of the indelible images of the young century. It crystallized the feelings of respect, gratitude and the understanding of American sacrifice on the part of the Iraqis who themselves braved death at the hands of evil terrorists to help bring about a new future.
And it represented the sense among so many military families that their sacrifices — even the unendurable loss of a beloved family member — were not and are not in vain.
The success of the Iraqi elections is not just geostrategically important. It has also provided a salutary antidote to the assault on national pride that has been staged by those who believe the war in Iraq was unnecessary and meaningless.
It had become common for many on the Left to cry crocodile tears for the dead and injured, to use those deaths and injuries as an ideological weapon against the merits and justifications for the war.
But the tears we saw shed on Wednesday night, and the tears we shed ourselves while watching, were the real thing. Sgt. Norwood and all those who have served and are still serving in Iraq have made the world a better place. All glory properly goes to them at a moment of genuine triumph.
