Just about everyone on the planet knows that President Bush has already made up his mind to attack Iraq. The only question seems to be whether the attack will come before or after the November elections. While I am anything but a pacifist when it comes to defending our liberties and national security, I must confess to a significant degree of confusion about the why and who of all of this.
Why does the United States put potential adversaries on its payroll, only then to ask America's fighting men to risk their lives in displacing them? Both Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were financed and supported by our own government. In other words, we wouldn't even be bothered with either of these maniacs if it weren't for the moral and financial assistance of the United States.
President Bush has done a miserable job of defining the reasons why Iraq poses a significant risk to the safety and security of our country. To be sure, any chemical or nuclear weapons that Iraq is amassing poses a clear and present danger to Israel. If we want to engage Iraq on that basis, fine, but for Bush to suggest that Iraq could actually launch missiles of any kind against the United States is absurd.
There is no credible evidence that Iraq participated in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. There is plenty of evidence, however, that Saudi Arabia was definitely involved and that it remains heavily involved in financing and supporting al-Qaeda and a host of other terrorist organizations. So, why does Saudi Arabia get a pass? Why do we not attack them?
There is credible evidence that Iraq was directly involved in the Oklahoma City bombing, but we have totally ignored that connection. Why? Why attack Iraq for something they didn't do, while at the same time ignore something they did do? None of this makes sense.
The stated reason we are attacking Iraq is because they are developing weapons of mass destruction. Using this argument, the one nation that we should be attacking is Red China. Along with Russia, China is the only country that has the weaponry and technology to actually launch a first strike against the United States. Talk about terrorism, Red China has already murdered over 60 million innocent people. It has killed thousands of Americans, has forcibly grounded our aircraft, and has threatened to incinerate our major cities. Yet, not only do we not talk of attacking China, we regard them as "friends" and "trading partners."
Furthermore, why do terrorist states such as Syria, Libya, Sudan, and North Korea get a pass? They have used a variety of weapons to slaughter thousands and even millions of people.
I have no problem with the United States waging war with Iraq, providing the U.S. Constitution is obeyed. This means Congress should be fully informed and convinced of the legitimacy of the reasons for waging war and agrees to declare war first. This will not be done, of course.
The only thing consistent about America's foreign policy (which is basically the same regardless of which party is in power) is its abject inconsistency. It seems to me that most of our undeclared wars (every war since WWII) are fought more on the basis of political or commercial considerations than those of national security. Don't forget that a war with Iraq will force oil prices to skyrocket. One doesn't have to be a genius to figure out who would benefit from that.
It is frightening and appalling that our government is so quick to order America's young men to die defending the commercial or political interests of the politicians while virtually ignoring or even abetting those nations that genuinely pose a clear and present danger to our liberties. You figure it out.
© Chuck Baldwin
This column is archived as http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2002/cbarchive_20020920.html
*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:
Chuck Baldwin Live Donate Form
I also have many books and DVDs available for purchase online. Go here:
Chuck Baldwin Live Store
To subscribe to my weekly columns, click here:
Subscribe to Chuck's Column
Related
|