Posted on 03/19/2002 8:48:44 AM PST by COURAGE
I Explain March 19, 2002 Ron Smith Something to Say
(March 19, 2002)
Several of my listeners have expressed their disappointment with my comments on our current “war” strategies. They are patriotic Americans who are convinced of the righteousness of the Bush Administration’s response to the atrocities of September 11, 2001. Judging from their calls and e-mails, they cannot abide my lack of enthusiasm over the course of these momentous events.
By way of disclaimer, understand that in no way do I object to the idea of hunting down and killing those responsible for the attacks on us. This is a proper thing to do, which is why it met with near universal approval from the get-go. Our allies agreed with it, as did governments not so friendly to American interests. We were to find and either kill or apprehend Osama bin Laden and his top followers, and when the Taliban regime in Afghanistan refused to hand them over, it was clear that we would wage war against it.
So far, so good, but since that campaign began many disquieting developments have taken place. The chief villain is nowhere to be found, nor are most of the top members of his management team. We have killed thousands of civilians in air attacks who had nothing to do with 9/11. We have installed a puppet regime in Kabul, but it controls none of the rest of the country. In a disturbing reminder of what befell the Soviets in their ill-fated Afghan war, we have begun battling small groups of mujahadin fighters in the craggy mountains. Our government won’t allow reporters to witness much of the fighting. As a result, frustrated reporters have to make what they can out of briefings by military spokesmen and interviews with soldiers returning from the fight. In short, I don’t like how this Afghan adventure is shaping up.
As far as the larger picture goes, the understandable concern for better security measures to lessen the chances of another disastrous terrorist attack on our shores quickly morphed into a series of freedom-squelching moves that disturb me greatly, though many folks don’t mind them judging by the results of a recent Zogby poll: “Percent of Americans who approve of: Random mail searches 57% Random car searches 62% Telephone eavesdropping 24% Video surveillance of public places 79% Regular roadblocks for searches 52%”
Does anyone recall the meaning of “liberty?” Is that too quaint a concept for our time? The widely trumpeted and vastly popular coming war against Iraq is almost the very definition of a bad idea. It’s pretty unlikely that what our leaders like to call a “regime change” in Iraq is going to work out as tidily as some of them apparently think it will. Sure, Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, but old-fashioned deterrence has kept him in check since the Gulf War and it’s hard to figure how that is going to change. Any use by Iraq of chemical, biological, or (when and if they get them, nuclear) weapons would mean the immediate obliteration of Hussein, his family, his tribe, and his nation. How likely is he to trigger that kind of response? Unlike the war a decade ago, America has nearly no support for an attack on Iraq. I don’t warm to the idea that we don’t need any approval for going to war; that we alone will determine who and when to strike. I believe it’s better to win agreement than to go it alone, and that if there is wide opposition to an action, chances are there are some good reasons to oppose it. We can’t simply kill all those who oppose American hegemony in the world. We say we want peace, and we do, but we want it on our own terms. Israel wants peace, but wants it on its own terms. The Palestinians want peace, but want it on their own terms. Francis Fukuyama became famous for positing that “History” has come to an end. He was referring to history as a search for the best form of governance and concluded that the fall of the Soviet Empire meant “social democracy” was the victor and nothing else could stand in its way. My belief is that the last six months have proved that evolutionary group conflict is very much alive, and History continues as it always has – written in blood.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2002 Hearst Radio Inc.
Incorrect: even the Afghans admit that it is probably less than a thousand, possibly much less.
But facts have never been the centerpiece of anti-war propaganda, and this is definitely propaganda.
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.