Now that the bombs are dropping it has become (pardon my French) pass? to criticize the war in Iraq. Both the policies that got us to this point and the president who used the bully pulpit to spearhead the effort are equally off-limits. I suppose this rule of etiquette did not go into effect until after the Republicans were done trashing President Clinton’s military effort in Kosovo. Criticism and dissent are now equated to a lack of patriotism thanks to GOP spin-doctoring.
Questioning the war is likened to not supporting the troops. Needless to say, it was criticism and public outcry during the Vietnam war that saved countless thousands of American soldier’s lives. But that’s all in the past now, right-lest we actually learn from our mistakes.
If anyone has a better way to support the troops, other than bringing them home safe and sound, I’m all ears. I suppose Dick Cheney and Trent Lott, among other prominent Republicans who never served in the military, were just ahead of the curve since they never left home in the first place. According to Cheney, who took a near-record five deferments rather than fight in Vietnam, he “had other priorities than military service.” He is some patriot. But since criticism is not “en vogue” at the moment I’ll do my best to stick to praise.
I would first like to extol our formerly isolationist president, for coming out of his shell. he same man who began his days in office by declaring he was not into nation-building and was reluctant to create peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I think I speak for the rest of the world when I say “Welcome Dubya,” we are only too happy to have you raid our private belongings at home and bomb the crap out of everyone you don’t like abroad for the sake of world peace. By all means, don’t go back in that little shell again.
I also want to congratulate President Bush for what, so far, has been a very swift and decisive military campaign. The fact that we possibly took out Saddam Hussein in the first “decapitation” strike and have made it into Baghdad faster than you can say “shock and awe” is a sure sign of the grave threat this regime posed to world peace in the first place. And while we’re talking about the military, I want to commend the President for his enthusiasm for our nation’s armed forces. For a guy who decided to fly around Alabama for a couple years in a National Guard jet rather than go and fight in Vietnam he sure loves this war stuff.
I know I’ve been generous here for the most part, but I do have one bone to pick with the president. I don’t know how we’re gonna pay for this latest tax cut for all his wealthy friends. The way I figure it, the war in Iraq is projected to cost $80 billion. The rebuilding effort is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion. That is not a typo. Let’s hope this nation-building thing is just a phase for George. At a trillion bucks a pop I’m not sure we can afford for the President to have a permanent change in philosophy.
You see, there are a lot of other Iraqs out there. And the president has set a host of new precedents here. You don’t need a formal declaration of war from Congress. You don’t need support from the international community or the United Nations. You don’t even need the support of your own people, but if you find a country that has violated U.N. resolutions or may have some weapons (because you don’t need actual proof), then you’ve got yourself a war. Also, don’t think that if the United States ends up on the other side of this new doctrine that President Bush won’t be crying a very different tune and don’t be surprised if it sounds eerily Fran?ois. That’s the tricky thing when you start making up new reasons to go to war. You have to deal with the doggone precedents you just set.
So based on the standards we set for waging war in Iraq, here is a list of all the countries we’re going have to “liberate” now. Currently, 91 countries have violated Security Council resolutions. At least eight countries have confirmed nuclear weapons. Among them are such stable democratic regimes as Pakistan, China and our old friend, North Korea. At least six countries have known chemical weapons programs, including the ever-cuddly Syria, Libya and Iran. And there are up to 100 countries that brutally torture their own people according to Amnesty International.
Frankly, I just don’t see how the United States can afford to liberate all of them. I guess this pre-emptive war and ousting of foreign governments maybe isn’t such a good idea after all. It could cost us up to $100 trillion. With numbers like that, how will we ever pay for another tax cut?
Christian Keeney is a Junior in the Washington Semester program. Will Hunting can kiss his ass.
