I know there are other threads about the war, but I need to explain myself without hijacking someone else’s thread. Let me start with a list.
[ul]
[li]Saddam Hussein is an evil, evil man.[/li][li]Saddam Hussein has been stockpiling WMDs.[/li][li]The world would be a better place without Saddam.[/li][li]I am against this war.[/li][li]We must fight this war.[/li][/ul]
Okay, so how do I reconcile the last two points? Especially with each other?
The U.S. and the world were shocked and angered by the attacks on September 11th 2001. Terrorism is, in my opinion, not a legitimate means to bring about the changes you support. “Terrorism” is a nice name for plain old murder. Terrorists are murderers who make themselves feel better by telling themselves they are part of a “cause”. (IMO) The U.S. was right to attack Afghanistan and to oust the Taliban, who supported al Qaeuda. Give me a helicopter and send me over.
But we couldn’t get Osama bin Laden. George W. Bush’s focus on Saddam Hussein struck me as sleight-of-hand intended to distract the American public from the failure to capture or kill ObL. “Osama? Um… Hey! Look over there!”
Saddam is, as I’ve said, evil. But he’s been evil for 35 years. He’s been disregarding UN directives for 12 years. Why attack him now? Because he has to be attacked sometime. But when we try to get rid of a head-of-state – even an evil one like Saddam – I think it’s important that the decision be made by everyone; not unilaterally.
But the UN chickened out. They made rules which were flouted and then would not carry out their threats of military action. Why not? Are they “sunshine patriots and summer soldiers”, only fighting when it’s convenient for them to do so? Are they like the small, yapping dog that makes a lot of noise but cannot back up its threats? Are they afraid?
Maybe.
But the U.S. is supposed to be a citizen of the world. The good citizen abides by the law. We’re also the biggest kid on the block. Many people hate us because of it. Many people hate us for what we do. Others hate us for what we don’t do. Some hate us for other reasons. And people love us for what we do or don’t do, and for other reasons.
This is High Noon. Will Kane seeks assistance from deputies and townsfolk, but soon realizes he’ll have to stand alone in his showdown with Frank Miller and his henchmen. The townspeople will have the benefit of getting rid of the bad guy, but without having the risk of fighting him.
This is Popeye. “That’s all I can stand! I can’t stands no more!” We’re fed up with Saddam (Bluto) and his antics. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and fight.
But we’re going against the rules. We’re starting a war. Gary Cooper didn’t go out to find Ian MacDonald. The bad guy came to him. The good guys don’t start the fight; they finish it.
I’m one of the only ones in my office who finds this whole mess distasteful. One of my direct-reports says, “What? Do you want to wait until he pulls another 9-11? Do you want to wait until he launches a nuclear bomb against us?” Well, I’ve heard no compelling evidence that Saddam was involved in 9/11. I have heard that ObL considers Saddam an infidel. And Iraq does not have a delivery system capable of delivering a nuke against the U.S. Of course I don’t want the U.S. – or any other nation – to be attacked by Iraq. But I don’t see any evidence that that would happen.
“But once Saddam has nuclear weapons, he can attack. We must stop him before he gets them.” I understand that. But I don’t see it as an immediate threat.
Why is there terrorism, anyway? Part of it is because some fanatics believe they are right and we are wrong. Just as the U.S. is telling France, for example, that we are right and they are wrong. Part of it is the desire for power. Part of it is because some peoples have very real grievances against the U.S. and other countries.
There’s not a lot we can do, legally, about fanatics. As long as the KKK or the Aryan Nation don’t break the laws, we let them think whatever they want. That’s why we have laws: so people can live as they wish to live, and so that those who want to cause trouble can be prosecuted. The desire for power? That’s not our concern. It’s an internal matter.
But what about the real grievances? Surely there are remedies that don’t require war? Why can we not identify the problems and work through diplomacy and compromise to solve them? I’m not talking about appeasement, which was shown in WWII to be ineffective. What I mean is that we – the whole world – should look in a mirror and see if we are who we think we are. Bush said war was his last option. I think he could have looked a little harder for better options, or he could have worked harder to make them work.
“Saddam has been given chance after chance after chance to come around, but he hasn’t. How many chances are you going to give him?” A hard question. Why did the UN not enforce its orders? Why is the UN so unwilling to carry out the responsibilities for which it was created? I don’t know. But the U.S. is part of the UN, and as a law-abiding nation we should respect the UN’s decisions. We should work within the Community of Nations rather than to act unilaterally. We were not under attack by Iraq. Therefore, I think attacking Iraq is illegal.
So you can see that I am ambivilant. I see the necessity of getting rid of Saddam, but I think we are ignoring the laws we hold so dear in doing it.
I oppose the war because I don’t think we’re playing by the rules. But I know that a war would probably have been necessary eventually. It reminds me of some medicine I took. It was aweful. It made me gag. It was the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever had to undergo (and I’ve had some unpleasant things happen to me in my life). But it was necessary for my recovery. This war against Saddam just seems dirty. Distasteful. Although I know it’s necessary, it just feels “wrong”. Maybe it’s not the war per se, but just the way it came about.
Some of you will undoubtedly disagree with me. Some of you will be offended by what I have said. Please understand that I don’t wish to be offensive to you. I am a very patriotic person. I support the ideals of America. I will fight, if called, for the side of right. I also consider myself a citizen of the planet. For me it’s not “My country, right or wrong”. It’s “My country. Let’s make it right.” Let us lead by example. So if you agree with me, that’s fine. If you think I’m a complete idiot, that’s fine as well. I doubt we’ll change each other’s opinion. My own opinion may change of its own accord, based on new data that may emerge.
Let’s hope this is a short war. Let’s hope that we can mend our differences with those who disagree with us. Let’s strive to make a better world.
I am a patriot. I support our military personnel. But I am against war at this time.