Liberal Talk Radio

As I’ve noted before, watching The West Wing in re-runs these days it becomes clear how pragmatically right-of-center, in some respects, the Bartlet Administration was. Though it’s often derided as The Left Wing, the show’s pretty centrist all around. Sure, the religious right is the butt of a lot of jokes, but hey, they’re funny!

But from free trade to missile defense to terrorism, much of the policy wouldn’t be out of place in the Bush White House. I was particularly struck by this Toby/Andy scene from Season Three (which straddles 9/11):

TOBY
It’s fanaticism whether we call it that or not, so were going to call it that. We respect all religions, all cultures.

ANDY
To a point.

TOBY
Yes, to a point. Grotesque oppression isn’t okay just because it’s been institutionlised. If you ask me, I think we should have gotten into the game three, four decades ago, but they’re coming after us now, so it’s time to saddle up.

ANDY
Toby…

TOBY
We do know what’s right.

ANDY
This is why they hate us.

TOBY
There’s a lot of reasons why they hate us. You know when they’re gonna like us? When we win.

…..

ANDY
And plenty of Republicans. But this one moment in time, you have to get off your horse
and just… simply put – be nice to the Arab world.

TOBY
Be nice?

ANDY
Yes.

TOBY
Well… How about when we, instead of blowing Iraq back to the seventh century for harbouring terrorists and trying to develop nuclear weapons, we just imposed economic sanctions and were reviled by the Arab world for not giving them a global charge card and a free trade treaty? How about when we pushed Israel to give up land for peace?

Andy sits down, and puts a hand to her forehead.

TOBY
How about when we sent American soldiers to protect Saudi Arabia, and the Arab world told us we were desecrating their holy land? We’ll ignore the fact that we were invited. How about two weeks ago, in the State of the Union when the President praised the Islamic people as faithful and hardworking only to be denounced in the Arab press as knowing nothing about Islam? But none of that is the point.

ANDY
What’s the point?

TOBY
I don’t remember having to explain to Italians that our problem wasn’t with them, but with Mussolini! Why does the U.S. have to take every Arab country out for an ice cream cone? They’ll like us when we win!

He stands up and starts pacing.

TOBY
Thousands of madrassahs teaching children nothing, nothing, nothing but the Koran and to hate America. Who do we see about that? [beat] Do I want to preach America? Judeo-Christianity? No. If their religion forbids them from playing the trumpet, so be it. But I want those kids to… look at a globe. Be exposed to social sciences, history. Some literature. [beat] They’ll like us when we win.