This article reviews the Bush Doctrine in the context of the moral traditions of war and historical practice. It explores the preemptive and preventive warfare arguments and potential adversary reactions to this new security strategy doctrine. Finally, it concludes that the Bush Doctrine is a necessary policy for our times, but that it is critically dependent on public understanding and support. Unfortunately, such support is far from guaranteed, which could lead to serious future strategic vulnerability for the United States.
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Some Americans are bypassing the press....
....working to rally that crucial support on the homefront.
The following is a letter written post 9-11, picked up and forwarded by
church groups to others...who continue to pass it on....around the web, and the world.
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A great lesson.
The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war.
My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I
were in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to
serve and defend our country again today. I knew that my husband would
give him a good explanation.
My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go
stand in our front living room window. He told him:
"Son, stand there and tell me what you see?"
"I see trees and cars and our neighbors houses," he replied.
"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the
United States of America and you are President Bush."
Our son giggled and said "OK."
"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every
house and yard on this block is a different country," my husband said.
"OK Dad, I'm pretending."
Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and see that
man come out of his house with his wife and he has her by the hair and
is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face,
he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kick her to death.
Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are crying, they
are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and afraid of
their father. You see all of this son....what do you do?"
"Dad?"
"What do you don son?"
"I call the police, Dad."
"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take your
call, listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What
do you do then son?!"
"Dad, but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.
They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place
or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my
husband says.
"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.
"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I
want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who
you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his
children."
"Daddy...he kills them?"
Yes, son, he does. What do you do?"
"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next
door neighbor to help me stop him," our son says.
"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get
involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop
him," my husband says.
"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"
"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?"
Our son starts to cry.
"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask
for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller
and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"
"What Daddy?"
"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her
door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire
and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in he
window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?!!!"
"Daddy..."
"WHAT DO YOU DO?!!!"
Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I close the
blinds, Daddy."
My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him...
"Why?"
"Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help...people who
needs it....and they won't help....You always say that neighbors are supposed
to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop
him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself...Daddy.....I can't look out
my window and just watch him do all these terrible things
and...and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the
blinds....so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to
pretend that it is not happening."
I start to cry.
My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window,
looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husbands questions
and he tells him...."Son"
"Yes, Daddy."
"Open the blinds because that man....he's at your front door..."WHAT DO
YOU DO?!!!!"
My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up
this tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without
hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM
HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA
FIGHT HIM!!!!!"
I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs my son to his
chest and hugs him tight, and cries..."It's too late to fight him, he's
too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have
stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife. You have to do what's right,
even if you have to do it alone, before......it's too late." my husband
whispers.
I just gave you is WHY we are at war when war. When good
men stand by and let evil happen is the greatest EVIL of all. Our
President is doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand
that this war is a war of humanity. WE must remove this evil man from
power so that we can continue to live in a free world where we are not
afraid to look out our window and see crimes on humanity. So that my
nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he
just "closes" that blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him.
I felt compelled to write this and pass it along.
Hopefully, you will understand the lesson my husband
tried to teach our son.
"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!"
BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!!
SUPPORT THEM!!!
SUPPORT AMERICA
SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE
THEIR BLINDS...."
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