The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Timeout for Imagination:
Thomas has climbed into his ivory tower and his wishful thinking is truly wonderful. The war on terrorism must be pursued and won at all costs. Our freedom is at stake and these people must be eliminated. Of course we want America to be the bastion of hope and not a fortress, but the fight has been brought to us and we must take it to them fiercely and without compromise. Anything else is wishful thinking.
However, I will read the new book, Tom. I do value your insights, thinking and access to people around the world.
"Bush Administration Calls an End to the 'War on Terrorism.' No, I haven't taken leave of my senses on the way out the door. I realize that we have enemies and they need to be confronted. But I do not want this to be all that America is about in the world anymore, and that is what has happened under this administration. I don't want the rest of my career to be about an America that exports fear, not hope, and ends up importing everyone else's fears as a result. I don't want it to be about explaining to young Chinese why my government can't give them student visas anymore. I don't want it to be about visiting U.S. Embassies around the world and finding them so isolated behind barbed wire, they might as well not be there at all. Defeating 'them' has begun to define 'us' in too many ways.
America is so much more than just 'Anti-Al-Qaeda Inc.' � but our whole identity in the world, and too many aspects of our way of life, are getting contorted around that mission. If we're really having a relevant presidential campaign, I'll come back and find the candidates debating, not who is the 'toughest' guy � the jungle is full of them � but who can be the toughest guy while preserving the best of what we had and the best of who we are. "
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