BODY POLITIC

STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH DIRECTED TO THE WORLD

“The United States will not retreat from the world”

“Those who know the costs, know the stakes”

“Liberty is the future, because it is the right and hope of all people”

“For people everywhere, the US is a partner for a better life”

If you thought that those were the words of FDR or Ronald Reagan, you would be mistaken. Lost amid the State of the Union address were some pretty powerful lines from President Bush.

By many accounts, Tuesday’s speech was not remarkable. Most analysts have focused on the fact that the President had a bad 2005 and is wounded politically. They point to last year’s State of the Union, when the President aggressively challenged Congress on Social Security reform and its subsequent failure to carry the day. But this speech was different, and it focused on the dangerous world in which we live.

The President renewed his commitment to our military and mission in Iraq. He singled out Iran and the new Palestinian government as threats to world peace. Whether he deliberately downplayed domestic issues for political reasons is unclear, but he put the world on notice that there are dangerous regimes out there and the United States and its allies need to be wary.

It is a much different world than 5 years ago. The President recognizes this and is setting a course for other nations and cultures to follow. Maybe the speech on Tuesday night was directed towards the world, and not just our nation. Maybe those lines were intended to give hope to those beyond our borders. Maybe when the history books are written, those few lines will be seen as affirmation of the Bush doctrine. It had better be, because much like his father before him, this President seems to be staking his legacy more to world affairs than domestic concerns.