What makes it more damning is the fact that they have not found any WMDs
This isn't even an issue. When you look at the good that will obviously come out of the war eventually, I think Blair had it right -- even if they were wrong they'll be right in history -- because the cause was a righteous one.
Yes, there will be good done but at what cost? Because of the inordinate drain on the US Treasury caused by Iraq, many other possibilities of doing good have been lost or postponed. Who is to say that the need in Iraq was greater or lesser than those other needs.
As for the war's righteousness, nothing can be called righteous when people are led into an event under false premises as they have been with this one. And frankly, I don't think doing the right thing was the prime motivation of the neocons who were behind this war. That has become their reason after the fact when their real reasons have been proven groundless.
There are tons of justifications for our action in Iraq -- first and foremost, Saddam's repeated violations of the UN resolutions -- so pick one. Even taken alone, any number of such reasons were sufficient.
The motivating reasons; the reasons why Americans got behind Bush and his quest for war was because Bush used the fear of more terrorist attacks and Saddam's links to those terrorists, and the threat Saddam presented in terms of WMD and more specifically, the probable development of nuclear devises as reasons to go to war. While there may be other justifications, those were the two that convinced Americans to get behind Bush.
What's surprising is the attempts of the neocons to change the scenario to fit the current picture, and the people be damned. What they don't seem to want to understand is that in a democracy, the people have a right to have a say in their destiny. That means an honest presentation of the facts and not deception. That means honoring and accepting their choice even though its not yours. That means leading them in the direction they want to go and not in a direction of your choosing.
Watching this unfold, I now understand why neocons are so arrogant and believe they know what's best for the Amer. people.......its because the Amer. people tend to be slow to 'get it'. It makes them look like they are not much better than cattle. However, that misconception is what leads to the overstepping of all those who prescribe to the doctrine of arrogance. The Amer. people may be slow on the uptick but they will get it and when they do their will be a price to be paid.
In fact, if this issue of the WMD and the purchase of uranium doesn't bring down the Bush and Blair administrations, both at a minimum will be seriously damaged. There is always a price to be paid when you fool the people in a democracy. To often, people have to learn that fact the hard way. |
