Posted on 10/18/2001 11:59:03 PM PDT by Starbreed
Three articles by Steve Chapman, columnist for the Chicago Tribune,
Making friends and enemies in the Middle East
September 20,
Patriotism in time of war
September 23, and
A war we can't avoid - and a war we can
October 11, 2001
The main theme of the September 20 is to change our unsuccessful policy to fit our war against terrorism. First the blame game: We neglect the Arab and Muslim world; (some would rejoice that we’re not telling them how to run their countries.) We bully them: by preventing Iraq from taking Saudi Arabia, (and they were grateful not resentful.) However, Chapman says this policy continues, “year in year out.” That is how one anthrax death in Florida gets transmogrified to epidemic proportions. We are to blame for the starving children in Iraq by means of blockade (he means sanctions by the UN), and should stop. Better we should smash Hussein on general principles. Then the children will be fed. We should make up with Iran because, although they are still supporting terrorism, they’re relatively moderate now. Our switching from hate to love should convince Iran that Usama is the only villain in this war, he hopes. We should exert pressure (again) on Israel to submit to yet another betrayal by Arafat. He ignores the fact that terrorism, what this is all about, is the major impediment to any peaceful resolution by anyone. Finally, “We shouldn’t appease those who won’t ever be satisfied”. . .(like Iraq, Iran, Palestine. . .right?)
Diversity in patriotism is his theme for September 23. He identifies first the peace activists. Then they are representatives of multiformity. Then the victims of rabid, hyper patriots. I loved especially the quote, "No soldier ever sees these socks." If that wasn’t purposeful demoralizing of war effort and injection of distrust in the nation’s leadership, I don’t know what is. That’s sedition. He resurrects the guilt for Japanese internment; (how do the polls rate Arabic deportation today? Let’s have some sensitive understanding for the rage we feel when our citizens are massacred on our own soil.) He calls forth the ubiquitous liberal phrases: “innocent people are tarred as subversives,” “Nixon’s paranoia,” “illegal surveillance,” “harassed dissidents,” “self-styled patriot,” ”questioning the war was tantamount to betraying your country,” “Either you’re a loyal American who loves the Stars and Stripes, or you’re a filthy communist.” and after 9.11, "the flurry of flag-waving" (damning with faint praise.) The last swipe is the smarmy, insinuating thought that things might go poorly and the national consensus unravel. "Some causes require committing America to war. Some causes don't." Chapman is writing this less than two weeks from 9.11.
October 11, he declares this war is different and follows with several descriptions in double negative which suggest exactly what he is denying, no mission, no chance for clear victory. Then he states that Usama struck NYC because we’re cowards and retreat a lot. Usama miscalculated because on home ground we can retreat no farther. Chapman cites those nebulous "some" voices out there who discuss the demise of the Powell doctrine -don’t use force if there is no goal, no exit strategy, no firm public support, unwillingness to use decisive force. But there is no contradiction (contradiction?), he says, since our stakes are too high. Moreover, other stronger voices insist we expand the war to Saddam Hussein, to do that thing the Powell doctrine would have properly discouraged. This is a bad thing: we can’t prove Hussein is complicit; he is so well-loved by the other muslim nations that attack on him will be attack on all, and we don’t want to fight a[nother, successful] ground war in Iraq. Hussein is going to go all wobbly seeing us project the reconstituted Powell doctrine all over Afghanistan. He won’t risk war because we can’t prove he has supplied Usama the WMD that we have never seen. We must continue the tedious and unsatisfying containment of Iraq that has starved millions of citizens, and which the other Muslim states think is stupid and futile.
Wait a minute didn’t Chapman say punish or remove Saddam Hussein?
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