Victor Davis Hanson To Brits: If It Weren't For America, You Wouldn't Be Free To Protest

The Times [UK] via Benador Associates ^ | November 18, 2003 | Victor Davis Hanson

[quidnunc]

Anger over the Iraq war is a privilege that Bush has fought hard to protect

Why are so many thousands on the streets of London so furious at an American President and the ongoing war in Iraq? Let us examine their misguided reasons, before getting to the truth.

The animus cannot be over the demise of Saddam Hussein. His regime killed more than two million citizens in three decades of state-sponsored murder and wars. For liberal Westerners the end of the Baathists, despite the current chaos of reconstruction, means no more attacks against neighbouring countries. The destruction of the Marsh Arabs and their fragile habitat has ended. British and American pilots are no longer engaged in a 12-year, 350,000-sortie effort to patrol Iraqi airspace to prevent further genocide. A brutal UN embargo that punished Iraqi citizens for the crimes of the Baathists is over.

Is it that protesters are angry at America's purportedly cavalier treatment of Muslims? Are they ignoring that over 20 years we have helped to expel Stalinists from Islamic Afghanistan, led the effort to restore Muslim Kuwait, fed Muslims in Somalia and bombed Christians to preserve Muslims in Kosovo and Bosnia? We give more than $3 billion a year to the Palestinians, Jordanians and Egyptians to match our aid to Israel.

Do they think it a bad thing that Noriega, Milosevic and the Taleban are gone? Whatever the endemic cynicism over US aims, the "national liberation" mantra of the 1960s seems close to realisation, if the nascent democratic movements in Panama, Serbia, Afghanistan and Iraq are any indication. The demonstrators should at least harbour no sympathy for our enemy's agenda: the fundamentalists' treatment of women, homosexuals, religious dissidents and ethnic minorities is from the Dark Ages.

Are the protesters repulsed at a "new" American preemption? If so, we in America do not remember that Hitler first sent V2s to our shores or that Milosevic cleansed Americans before we sent planes over their skies to stop the butchery. In the recent Balkan conflict Americans thought European omission, not American commission, allowed the loss of 250,000 lives a few hours from Berlin and Paris.

Mr Bush's Christianity, cowboy metaphors, and drawl might grate on European sensitivities. But he sought approval of the US Senate and went to the UN before attacking Saddam, unlike a lip-biting Bill Clinton, who bombed the Balkans, Africa and Iraq without either national or multinational sanction. And, by the terrible arithmetic of war, the Anglo-American effort to defeat the worst regime in the Middle East has been remarkable in its efforts to minimise casualties, both ours and Iraqi.

-snip-

[kevao]

we may be soon entering a far scarier world, when America in exasperation — as it did for most of its history before the European wars — will simply shrug and say: "Good luck to you all."

I'm already there. But my sentiments are more along the lines of "f#*k you all."

[white trash redneck]

To paraphrase a joke that was going around a while ago, one of the American newscritters (Fox, mayber) should approach a protestor and ask if he speaks German. If he says no, the newscritter should say "You're welcome."

[Pompah]

You got me on the spelling. What a dolt.

I missed him last night.But he's always awesome. I've come to know all of his little cliche's and routine's and he is quite the "Showman", or Showboat if you will. But is at least for me a total escape from the days news funk.

When you hear him say "Here's a little secret I'm gonna show you" I sit right up and listen. it's always something I can use when I pretend that I can cook.

[DuncanWaring]

...why this intelligent and honorable man continues to consider himself a Democrat.

Probably for the same reason Zell Miller does.

[mitchbert]

Sinclair received the Order of Canada. He was a Canadian for life as far as I know, and can find no biographical info to indicate otherwise. If I'm wrong I'd gladly accept info to demonstrate the contrary.

Beautiful radio broadcast, BTW...thanks for reminding me of it.

[DuncanWaring]

Or that France would provide critical military assistance without which the colonial insurrection in America would have failed?

Keep in mind, though, that the French assisted we Yanks as an extension of their campaign against the Brits, and that the French administration which provided said aid a few years later had an appointment with the invention of Dr. Guillotine.

[sausageseller]

I should be the last one to correct a persons spelling!

I thought I heard him say they were at Ft. Dix?

They were in a big hanger with choppers and other machines. A lot of srvice personel were there. Also had Trace Atkins(sp?) the counrty singer there and he did a couple of songs!Try to see if they rerun it. I am sure you would get a kick out of it!

[sausageseller]

Duh...svrice=service

[ItsForTheChildren]

It's time to implement the plan.

We just take over the entire planet. Give us any crap and we kick you off the planet. Game over. Peace and prosperity for all.

And after all, it's for the children.

[ffusco]

france only helped the colonies to undermine the Brits.

[WoofDog123]

"I believe France was well paid for that little bit of help, I am sure you don't really believe France did that out of the good of their own hearts do you? If so, might I suggest a few historical references to the contrary?."

Nowhere did I say that france, like ANY country (including this one), did things for any reasons other than Real Politik. Just like we stayed out almost the entire first world war, and did not enter the second until japan opened the door.

My point is that many feet can wear the 'you should be grateful cuz we saved your butts' shoe.

[mupcat]

"I thought I heard him say they were at Ft. Dix?"


He was at McGuire Air Force Base.

[WoofDog123]

"france only helped the colonies to undermine the Brits."

So the french who died in that conflict didn't really die in the american colonies fighting the british?

Real Politik is the rule everywhere, not just France. Only in comic books do countries go to war for idealist motives, whichever side they are on. It doesn't change the fact that without French military help, we might have the queen on our money still. Does it matter that this is the same france the colonists helped the british kick out of the old northwest just 15-odd years before?

I am getting a number of flames for bringing up that France was critical in kicking the crown out of the colonies. I guess help doesn't count as help unless it is done to the standards of the Democrats, where it can not further any foreign policy aims, strategic interests, etc, but only be for the most inane ideal motives.

By this reasoning (helping another power in a big way isn't really help unless it doesn't help your country too), the united states might be said to have helped the following countries?

Haiti
Kosovo
tried to 'help' somalia

[WoofDog123]

"Keep in mind, though, that the French assisted we Yanks as an extension of their campaign against the Brits, and that the French administration which provided said aid a few years later had an appointment with the invention of Dr. Guillotine."

There is a certain irony in the imminent fate of the monarchy. Of course, this allowed Mr. Napoleon to make that nice real estate deal with jefferson to fund his own wars.

It could certainly be said we assisted France in WWII as an extension of our campaign against Germany.

[ffusco]

Spare me.
france helped America the same way they helped Iraq, Brazil and many brutal dictators in Africa. They have systematically undermined the west for their own selfish goals by creating chaos in areas of instability. Now they use the UN to acomplish the same task.

[Tolik]

Victor Davis Hanson moral clarity BUMP  [please freepmail me if you want or don't want to be pinged to Victor Davis Hanson articles]

If you want to bookmark his articles discussed at FR: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/k-victordavishanson/browse

His NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp

[MEG33]

I love his writing.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

British performance artist Mark McGowan performs his artwork entitled 'Sausage, Chips and Beans' at the House Gallery, London in this photo taken November 14, 2003. McGowan intends to spend 100 hours sitting in the bath of baked beans with sausages strapped to his head and two chips stuck up his nose in support of the traditional fried breakfast which he views as an important part of British culture. REUTERS/David Bebber

[Utah Girl]

Victor Davis Hanson is rapidly becoming my favorite columnist to read. I also just ordered his new book Ripples of Battle. I'll let you know how it is.