Ever since the end of the Vietnam War, Republicans have been perceived as the party of a strong military and a xenophobic foreign policy. Conversely, Democrats have been the party soft on defense and foolish on security.With one small deal to sell Peninsular Oriental and Steam Navigation, a British company that, among other things, operates six U.S. ports, to a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates, thirty years of perception have been changed almost overnight. Suddenly, Democrats are the party of strong national security, while Republicans are desperately scrambling to look more like the Terminator and less like the Keystone Kops.
How could perceptions change so radically, and so rapidly?
The problem was with the original perception. Republicans do not actually favor a strong military; they just want a hugely funded military. Democrats do not favor a weak national defense; they want a defense policy based on rational thought rather than irrational fear.
Thirty years of perception built on deception have finally started showing the cracks. But it didn't happen overnight.
For several years, Americans have been coming to the collective conclusion that Democrats are better for the economy. Massive, unchecked Republican deficits, combined with increasingly empty promises to fix the problem, have created a new perception - that, in the words of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, "You can't trust Republicans with your money."
When it comes to our children's education, Americans are realizing that expensive, worthless standardized tests do not an education platform make. Likewise, Republicans' unyielding, anti-choice stance is out of touch with American values. Ditto for the Republicans' 19th century views on big business. On issue after issue, the truth, that the Republicans are out of touch with reality, has been bubbling up through the vast propaganda machine.
And now, they've been hit where it hurts the most, on national security.
Oddly, the truth is that this port operations deal will almost certainly make no difference for national security. Even left-wing New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof writes, "Nothing is going to change on the ground..." after the port deal is consummated. Furthermore, despite the United Arab Emirates' problems, such as officially recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, they are about as close to an ally as we have in the Arab world.
So at least the continued difference between perception and reality is preserved.
Copyright 2006, Dan Jacoby
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