April 2, 2003

Freedom in Death and Destruction

Someone from Setauket, N.Y., named Joseph Werner (allright@optonline.net) sent out a press release asking "Are peaceniks morbid or misled?" In it he says, "The Humanitarian Operations in Iraq is not a war of conquest but one with the noblest intent. America and its coalition military partners are fighting and dying to set the Iraqi people free from a satanic tyrant!"

I was moved to write to the man. I wrote the following:

If this is really a war to free Iraqis from a satanic tyrant, it seems to be extremely inefficient to be killing large numbers of them and destroying their cities, their food and water supplies. It feels a lot better to call it a noble war of liberation, but you have to seriously block your vision from the carnage that is going on to maintain such a delusion.

Why did the US install the dictatorship in Iraq in the first place and arm Saddam Hussein with the most dreadful weapons? Why does the US government install dictatorships all over the world and maintain them if it is really opposed to dictatorships? If George W. Bush really wants democracy in Iraq, why is he actively undermining it in the US? Does the fact that Iraq sits on or near most of the world's oil have anything to do with why this particular tyrant at this particular time must be removed while the same US regime supports so many other horrible tyrants like Reagan and Bush used to support Saddam Hussein?

Your idea that this is a noble war is a fairy tale. It may make you feel good, but how would you like to be liberated by having your family killed and your home and homeland destroyed?

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