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By Scott Gillette | Bio
The
Bush Administration does not deserve another term. The invasion of Iraq is the
only reason one needs to hope for Bush’s defeat. I
do not say this with any satisfaction. Our national odyssey of the past four
years has been a walk on a spiral staircase. Its culmination with our invasion
of Iraq only brought us to a new low. Our policy is the failure it was
foreordained to be.
I
opposed the Iraqi occupation before it happened, and nothing has occurred that
has made me change my mind. Bush
gave two specific reasons for regime change in Iraq. We, the public, were told
that Iraq was an “imminent threat” because of its ability to obtain
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Second, we were also told that Iraq
was affiliated with the terrorists that attacked our homeland. Both
reasons tortured the truth to the point of dishonesty. Iraq had no nuclear
capability in more than a decade. None. Ten years of weapons inspections,
sanctions and no-fly zones had left any serious chemical or biological weapons
program impossible to create. Indeed, Saddam Hussein never would have attacked
the United States directly, because that would spell the end of his regime. Nor
did Hussein have any serious connections with Al Queda, a far more dangerous
enemy. Hussein never would have allowed any terrorists in his country, because
they would be threats to his absolute power. Hussein had become a Caligula of
sorts in his waning years, not the deadly virus that Al Queda has become. Give the gift of music with iTunes gift certificates It
is troubling that every problem that Iraq was supposed to solve has become
worse. Iraq never had terrorism before, but is now a haven for terrorists
because of widespread anarchy. Instead of winning the battle against terrorism,
we are increasing its saliency, because we invaded an Arab country. Instead of
utilizing our resources and world opinion to transform Afghanistan into a viable
country, we have spread ourselves too thin and have shown weakness by
overreaching. We have also undermined trust around the world by failing to apply
force judiciously. Instead of making Iraq free and prosperous, it will remain a
dangerous and forbidding place in the years to come. We
can never leave Iraq and declare victory, because success would require an Iraqi
nation better off for our intervention. Instead, we have created the worst of
two worlds: the resentment that rule by force brings, but without the security
that comes with total political domination. We have to stay in Iraq for several
years, now that we are there. But we never should have gone in the first place. Best NEWS Magazines. LOWEST PRICES Online! MAGAZINES.com. Bush
did many things right. His conduct as President after 9/11 was admirable. His
tax cuts minimized the most recent economic downturn. But
I do not want my government to attack and occupy entire countries unless those
countries attacked us first. Supporters of preemptive strikes argue that the
ends justify the means. But it never takes long for means to become ends in
themselves.
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