#147 True and False in the same paragraph

The Wall Street Journal had an opinion piece today (Dec. 17) by a former Reagan official. He wrote something very true:

“If it were up to the U.N. or the E.U., or the editorial boards of most major American newspapers, Saddam would still be happily making palaces for himself and torture dungeons for his people.”

But in the same paragraph, same numbered point, he also wrote:

“America is the greatest force for good on the planet.”

Since we enabled Saddam and Osama bin Ladin when they were enemies of our enemies, that obviously can’t be a true statement. It might have been expedient at the time, but it wasn't a force for good in the long term.