Thursday, February 06, 2003
I have been involved in many interesting discussions and opinion volleying on the Iraq situation of late and just do not understand the perspective of the anti-war factions. How, if in fact evidence is given that Iraq does possess Weapons of Mass Destruction (WND), could you possibly be anti-war? Do people honestly think the freedom and luxuries what we have today were just given to them? Our me-first generation has taken self-indulgence to level never seen before. Ironically, it’s the freedom of our deeply rooted, spoiled brat American way of life that serves as the catalyst for the anti-war platform.
Now, I’m never one to ever champion violence over diplomacy, but when that breaks down, how can you argue against something that has been the solution for thousands of years. How can you argue against History, against what civilization has dictated is the resolution to conflict? It doesn’t make it right, but how can it be changed?
Many will argue we have too many problems to worry about within the United States borders before flexing our Democratic muscle all over the globe. I agree with that. We need to worry about education; natural resources, the environment, the economy, jobs and the million other problems facing the American public, but we should have been worrying about these yesterday and everyday prior to it.
We have built a culture and society that thrives on commercialism. It’s why you can read this from your palm pilot or access soft-core porn at the touch of a button while dialing for a pizza to better enhance our position as the world’s fattest nation. We are capitalist gluttons, slaves to money and power and the only thing that is going to reverse this is a drastic tragedy, the kind of tragedy that could be made possible if we let hostile nations continue to build to WMD.
But I question the rhetoric of these anti-war proponents, wondering if they have no sense of pride or historical cultural significance. You preach peace and non-violence at all costs, but are you willing to die for these ideals? Because if enough proof exists that Saddam has a chemical weapons surplus and is building to nuclear capacity, that is what inaction will bring, death. American Revolutionist Christopher Gadsen once argued that is it is easier to stop the work of “crafty, dissembling, insinuating men” before they get the chance to “carry their point against you.” I ask that all those diametrically opposed to war think about that for a second because if we don’t strike preemptively, we will be left in the smoldering debris these rogues will reign down on us.
If what Colin Powell presented to the United Nations is true, then Iraq is not only harboring WMD, but he is also going to great lengths to conceal them from the from the UN. Powell stated that Iraq has two of three components needed to build a nuke and he firmly believes Saddam will not stop until he succeeds in doing so. We are dealing with a madman here, a deceitful killer of his own people who despite his own innocent propaganda, will stop at nothing to see his mission fulfilled. His actions since the Gulf War have subtly done nothing to dispel this. If he is allowed to gain the munitions needed to reach us, he will. And North Korea will probably follow suit.
Look, I’m not going to argue against those who believe there is not root connection between Iraq and Al-Qaeda, or those who think this is Bush attempting to finish what his Daddy didn’t. But what I will ask is that you strongly consider the hatred and resentment that Iraq and other nations have for the U.S. and realize these people would like nothing more than to see our way of life destroyed. The people of these nations, so often referred to by the anti-war folk as innocent victims, aren’t playing by the same rules as us. They are people living under supreme dictatorships who hate us for our freedom, the very freedom that permits the dissemination of the anti-war extollers. They are people who would take much pleasure in eradicating you for simply having the freedom to push a peace agenda to preserve them.
We are a spoiled generation; we Gen X and Y’er’s. We’ve had everything in our lives given to us, leaving us with no sense of the true sacrifice Democracy comes with. In this information age five minutes ago is an eternity, so trying to wrap our arms around the significance and freedoms won for us by our ancestors in wars past is impossible. But the fact of the matter remains, if not for the likes of U.S. led war victories, we wouldn’t be enjoying everything we do today. Oppression is a horrible force.
Realize that I am basing all this on the extreme last resort. I support and am in complete favor of the peaceful disarmament of Iraq and removal of Saddam from power. But the realist in me has no faith that Saddam will ever go down without a fight. So I ask you anti-war folk, if it came down to your life or that of somebody in a foreign land, which would you chose? World peace is a great ideal; just tell me how we can get there without conflict, because if you can, than you my friend will go down in history as greater than god him or herself.
Now, I’m never one to ever champion violence over diplomacy, but when that breaks down, how can you argue against something that has been the solution for thousands of years. How can you argue against History, against what civilization has dictated is the resolution to conflict? It doesn’t make it right, but how can it be changed?
Many will argue we have too many problems to worry about within the United States borders before flexing our Democratic muscle all over the globe. I agree with that. We need to worry about education; natural resources, the environment, the economy, jobs and the million other problems facing the American public, but we should have been worrying about these yesterday and everyday prior to it.
We have built a culture and society that thrives on commercialism. It’s why you can read this from your palm pilot or access soft-core porn at the touch of a button while dialing for a pizza to better enhance our position as the world’s fattest nation. We are capitalist gluttons, slaves to money and power and the only thing that is going to reverse this is a drastic tragedy, the kind of tragedy that could be made possible if we let hostile nations continue to build to WMD.
But I question the rhetoric of these anti-war proponents, wondering if they have no sense of pride or historical cultural significance. You preach peace and non-violence at all costs, but are you willing to die for these ideals? Because if enough proof exists that Saddam has a chemical weapons surplus and is building to nuclear capacity, that is what inaction will bring, death. American Revolutionist Christopher Gadsen once argued that is it is easier to stop the work of “crafty, dissembling, insinuating men” before they get the chance to “carry their point against you.” I ask that all those diametrically opposed to war think about that for a second because if we don’t strike preemptively, we will be left in the smoldering debris these rogues will reign down on us.
If what Colin Powell presented to the United Nations is true, then Iraq is not only harboring WMD, but he is also going to great lengths to conceal them from the from the UN. Powell stated that Iraq has two of three components needed to build a nuke and he firmly believes Saddam will not stop until he succeeds in doing so. We are dealing with a madman here, a deceitful killer of his own people who despite his own innocent propaganda, will stop at nothing to see his mission fulfilled. His actions since the Gulf War have subtly done nothing to dispel this. If he is allowed to gain the munitions needed to reach us, he will. And North Korea will probably follow suit.
Look, I’m not going to argue against those who believe there is not root connection between Iraq and Al-Qaeda, or those who think this is Bush attempting to finish what his Daddy didn’t. But what I will ask is that you strongly consider the hatred and resentment that Iraq and other nations have for the U.S. and realize these people would like nothing more than to see our way of life destroyed. The people of these nations, so often referred to by the anti-war folk as innocent victims, aren’t playing by the same rules as us. They are people living under supreme dictatorships who hate us for our freedom, the very freedom that permits the dissemination of the anti-war extollers. They are people who would take much pleasure in eradicating you for simply having the freedom to push a peace agenda to preserve them.
We are a spoiled generation; we Gen X and Y’er’s. We’ve had everything in our lives given to us, leaving us with no sense of the true sacrifice Democracy comes with. In this information age five minutes ago is an eternity, so trying to wrap our arms around the significance and freedoms won for us by our ancestors in wars past is impossible. But the fact of the matter remains, if not for the likes of U.S. led war victories, we wouldn’t be enjoying everything we do today. Oppression is a horrible force.
Realize that I am basing all this on the extreme last resort. I support and am in complete favor of the peaceful disarmament of Iraq and removal of Saddam from power. But the realist in me has no faith that Saddam will ever go down without a fight. So I ask you anti-war folk, if it came down to your life or that of somebody in a foreign land, which would you chose? World peace is a great ideal; just tell me how we can get there without conflict, because if you can, than you my friend will go down in history as greater than god him or herself.
