The two types of appeasement

I'm a little late in linking to this, but Victor Hanson has a great piece up on Opinion Journal. He gives an overview of how the policy of appeasement towards Islamic terrorism over the last twenty-five years has led only to more violence and destruction. It's a long piece, but it analyzes the most serious problem our civilization is facing with remarkable clarity. I know some of my very few regular readers are against the war in Iraq and don't think anything can be solved with military force. Well, I challenge you to read this article and take another look at things.

There's another kind of appeasement that's not as dangerous to our civilization but can wreck political careers -- and that's appeasement of the media. I think the best example is from a press conference by Kim Campbell given during the election in which the Progressive Conservative party was destroyed. She had been badgered by reporters concerning the costs of new helicopters ordered by her predecessor, and in front of the press, she caved in and tried to negotiate a new deal that might be acceptable to them. She was through after that moment.

George W. Bush has been facing similar pressure from the press regarding the future of Donald Rumsfeld and how he should make amends for the prisoner abuse scandal. After he groveled a bit, the pressure only got louder. He stood his ground yesterday and gave his solid support to his Secretary of Defense. He also stated firmly that he is not going to look for a way to sneak out of Iraq. The job is going to be finished. Look for the indignant demands from the press to abate.

Appeasement never works. It it only whets your enemies' appetites.