Someone Has to be the Grownup

David Warren brings to light some of the latest strategy in the War on Islamo-Fascism in "Next". What got me however, was this:

The reality is that the Bush administration now finds itself in the position of the one adult in a room full of unhappy children. The adult carries responsibilities that none of the children fully understand. A mortal threat presents itself to adult and children alike, but only the adult appreciates this. He must find a way to proceed in spite of the children's very active non-cooperation.

I realize this is not a flattering account of the spectacle of the "United Nations" at work, but it is unfortunately true. And it is the most useful analogy I have found to guess how the Bush administration must proceed, given the nature of its actual problem -- an enemy vowed to the destruction of the West, which will stop at nothing, and must soon be armed with unimaginably lethal weapons and nearly undetectable methods for delivering them.

Quietly and with unflinching resolve we will do what we need to do so as not to upset the "children"... Some of these European "children" have been a bit naughty. Some have taken sweet deals and money from the bad guys and in exchange have either kept their mouths shut or worked to stymie the grownups.

It's a topsy-turvy world. I have a feeling it's going to get even topsy-turvier in the next 5 years or so.