Iraq
I'm impressed by folks who have a strong opinion on issues that are close calls ('barkeep, I'll have what they're havin'), such as the war in Iraq. If nature abhors a vacuum, then so do tough issues abhor indecisiveness.
Were the anti-war folks exercised over economic sanctions, which killed many more people than the war, albeit indirectly? Kudos for consistency go out to those who can say they a) did not support the original Gulf War and b)protested the economic sanctions. Pacifism obviates the need for thinking and for that reason alone should be applauded.
So isn't the Iraq war a continuation of the Gulf War? In the time of "peace" between the wars, 500,000 Iraqi children are said to have died due to economic sanctions. During the time of "peace" the U.S. spent billions on Iraq, enacting no-fly zones and such. If a judge lets a three-time convicted murderer loose, the judge is blamed when the murderer kills again. If George Bush had let Saddam go his own way and ignored the "jail sentence" that was imposed on Saddam after the Gulf War (which he flouted), then who would we blame when he exploded chemical/biological weapons? Bush, because he failed to honor the agreement that Saddam ignored. The die seems to be cast when the inspectors were ejected in '98. But Clinton had Monica troubles.
I'm all for letting go and letting God. But does He really want us to do nothing in the face of evil? To let evil go unchecked is good? Why not empty the jails today? Why not simply rely on God for a continuous series of miracles to prevent chaos?
The Iraq war may turn out to be a mess in hindsight. But that's in hindsight, which has a way of making us brilliant (which is why I like reading history - it's one time I feel smarter than the principals.)
Bush and Blair tried to do right by the lights given to them. I won't second guess them. I wouldn't have had the courage to do what they did, first because I could not have rebuffed my Pope and second because I doubt I would've stood up against European pressure. But I'm not a leader. It's possible they did do the right thing. God bless George Bush.
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