] Sixty years of Western nations excusing and accommodating
] the lack of freedom in the Middle East did nothing to
] make us safe -- because in the long run, stability cannot
] be purchased at the expense of liberty. As long as the
] Middle East remains a place where freedom does not
] flourish, it will remain a place of stagnation,
] resentment, and violence ready for export. And with the
] spread of weapons that can bring catastrophic harm to our
] country and to our friends, it would be reckless to
] accept the status quo.
]
] Therefore, the United States has adopted a new policy, a
] forward strategy of freedom in the Middle East.

Read this. This is Bush in rare form. Its probably the best I've heard out of him. It might be the best he'll ever offer. This is certainly the most positive perspective on current events that I've heard since before the market crashed. It is a hopeful and intelligent vision. Its something worth fighting for.

There is this nagging voice that keeps telling me to take a shot at him for ways that I think his policies diverge from these ideals. I'm not going to. This speech deserves to stand on its own. And Saffire was right, you ought to read it.

President Bush's speech at the National Endowment for Democracy