Mike at Night We're Upside Down on Iraq
Things are getting pretty curious in regards to American foreign policy. We just marked the first anniversary of the September 11th tragedy and the nation was exposed to around- the- clock coverage by all of the major television networks. I was at home sick with some kind of bug and spent most of the day and evening watching the coverage. We were once again reminded of the terrible toll that day took on all Americans, but especially the loved ones left behind. It took three and a half hours to read the names of all the victims. The amount of pain and suffering endured by their families and friends is immeasurable. Those attacks happened due to a fanatical religious fringe movement in the Middle East who sees America as "The Great Satan." The entire world was shocked as the events of last September 11th unfolded and most countries rallied to our side and our defense. A coalition of nations was quickly built to hunt down and punish those groups responsible for this terrible tragedy. That coalition, for the most part, still exists but it now stands on shaky ground because of the desire of our Administration to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iraq and Saddam Hussein, a move that would be contrary to our historical and social posture. The reasoning is that Saddam possesses "weapons of mass destruction" and we need to hit him before he hits us. Unfortunately, both in small, intimate groups as well as international relations, this logic has never fared well. If I hit you because I thought you might someday hit me, I would be guilty of assault. Our own Constitution protects us from being arrested BEFORE we commit a crime, just because someone thinks that some day we might. Why should this logic be reversed when it comes to international relations? We have always believed in defending freedom, rather than imposing our way of life on others, unless they ask for it. Iraq has not asked for it. There is little opposition in Iraq to Saddam Hussein. According to Newsweek magazine, Iraqi dissidents number less than 40,000 in five different splintered and light armed groups. I'm sure the percentage of dissidents in this country, including the anti-government militia groups, far exceeds the number of dissidents in Iraq. Whether we believe their way of life is best for them is really immaterial. If we truly believe in national sovereignty, they should be left alone to pursue life and liberty as they see fit, rather than have us decide it for them. We have never been a war-mongering nation. In fact, in every war we've fought, we've entered reluctantly and usually only after direct provocation. When we fought the first Iraqi war, that was the time to take the battle to Saddam Hussein and end his regime once and for all. It appears that George Dubya is attempting to finish what George Herbert Walker started when George Herbert Walker should have finished it himself. If we proceed with plans to invade Iraq, we risk losing the coalition that has stood by our side since the first Iraqi war. We risk turning friends into enemies. And, most importantly, we risk verifying our moniker of "The Great Satan" that terrorist groups have already given us. I think most of my readers know that I am not and have never been a dove when it comes to defending your own rights, your property, your loved ones, or yourself. But attacking Iraq is not self-defense. It is a pre-emptive first strike, a provocation of war, regardless of the reason. If we do that, we change this country's history and legitimacy forever. And, as I said last week, in doing that we become no better than those we attack. We can no longer use a higher moral authority if our tactics mirror the tactics of our enemies. On the contrary, in the eyes of many, we would have earned the title of "The Great Satan" and terrorist attacks against the United States would increase rather than decrease while, at the same time, we lose support from allies around the world. This is something we cannot do and we must not do. ____________ Mike can be e-mailed at mikeatnight@hotmail.com |