Tiger, Tiger,BurningBright 251measurestoheadoffwaroftenlooktoJ acksonianslikepusillanimous
weakness.Youcandealwitha bullyonlybystandinguptohim.Any-
thingelseis appeasement,whichisbothdishonorableandfutile.
Thehonorcodealsorequiresthatweliveuptoourcommitments.We
haveobligationstothosewehavepromisedtoprotect.OncetheUnited
Statesextendsa securityguaranteeormakesa promise,wemustfulfill
thatpromise,comewhatmay.Jacksonians,whohadtheleastfaiththat
SouthVietnamcouldbuilddemocracyorthattherewasanythingabout
VietnamofinteresttotheaverageAmerican,weresteadfastinsupportof
thewar,thoughnotofthestrategy,becausewehadgivenourwordto
defendSouthVietnam.Jeffersonianopponentsofthewar,whobelieved
thatfightinga bloodywarinsupportofa corruptandincompetentgov-
ernment was a dishonorable act, battledagainstJacksonians, whose
honorcodetaughtthemthatfightingishonorableandthattoabandon
SouthVietnamwouldbea cravenbetrayal.
We mustalso follow through.Jacksonianopinionwas resolutely
againstthe 1999 warinKosovoatitsoutset.However,onceAmerican
honorwasengaged, JacksonianslikeSenatorMcCainbegantourgea
strongerfightingstrategy:Therewasa greatconsensusamongthemnot
toexcludetheoptionofgroundtroops.Itisa bad thingtofight an
unnecessarywar,butitisinexcusableanddishonorabletoloseoneonce
ithasbegun.
Reputationisasimportantininternationallifeasitistothedomes-
tichonorofindividualJacksonians.HonorintheJacksonianimagina-
tionisnotsimplywhatonefeelsoneselftobeontheinside;itisalso
a questionoftherespectanddignityonecommandsintheworldat
large.Jacksonianopinionis sympathetictotheideathatourreputation,
whetherforfairdealing,cheating,toughness,orweakness,willshapethe
wayotherstreatus.Therefore,atstakeinanycrisisisnotsimplywhether
wesatisfyourownideasofwhatisdueourhonor;ourbehaviorinthe
crisisandtheresolutionweobtainmustpreserveourreputation-our
prestige-intheworldatlarge.
WarDoctrineJacksonianAmericahasclearideasabouthowwarsshouldbefought,
howenemiesshouldbetreated,andwhatshouldhappenwhenwarsare
over.Jacksoniansrecognizetwokindsofenemyandtwokindsoffight-