Volume 49, Number 16 · October 24, 2002
The New Age of Tyranny
By Mark Lilla
In his 2002 State of the Union address President Bush described Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as an 'axis of evil' and expressed his resolve to meet any threat they might pose to the United States. This phrase, obviously meant to echo Ronald Reagan's characterization of the Soviet Union as an 'evil empire' two decades ago, was coolly received at home and abroad, and the President has not emphasized it since. Yet we would be unwise to forget it. While rhetorical overreach in the wake of last autumn's terrorist attacks may be understandable, the hollowness of the President's formulation betrays a strategic disorientation that merits examination.
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