WHY WE LIKED IKE

Thomas W. Evans, in The Wall Street Journal, recommends books on the role of commander in chief.  He discusses Fred I. Greenstein's "The Hidden-Hand Presidency," about the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Evans comments:

While commander in chief, Eisenhower did not start a major war, but he ended one -- in Korea -- without fanfare. Ike's own writing confirms that he moved through back channels to tell North Korea's ally, the People's Republic of China (with which we did not have formal diplomatic relations), to end the conflict immediately or risk the use of nuclear weapons. A truce was soon in place.

We're reminded that weakness never led to peace.  Iran, except for little bursts of attention, seems to be fading from the front pages, but the centrifuges keep spinning.  The president is in the Middle East and warns whenever he can that Iran remains a major threat.  At home, the trip is getting minimal attention.  Success in Iraq has even removed that conflict from the minds of too many.  Dwight Eisenhower had to make a decision to try to end a conflict.  He decided to confront in the strongest possible terms, although he did so out of public view.

I hope our leaders are, in private, exhibiting the same sense.  Americans, though, seem to have lost interest.

Posted on January 15, 2008.