No Nadine, capturing Saddam does not justify what has been done. Perhaps in your world the ends justify the means, but in my world the means define who you are.
So, we should be for peace and democracy, as long as we just talk about it? Mustn't actually use military force? So what should our policy be towards all those thugs and dictators we are not overthrowing or threatening in any way (that would be nasty "means" too)? Should we actually do any business with them, seeing as we might need to buy something they have, like oil? Oops, that was the US policy of the 70s and the 80s. You deplore that policy too, don't you?
So I guess we should just refuse to deal with any of these unsavory regimes, and at the same time refrain from using force against them. Hm, no carrots and no sticks. What does that leave? Sitting back and scolding them? "bad regime, nasty dictator"?
You must have loved Jimmy Carter's foreign policy. However, did you notice that its only concrete result was to overthrow the Shah and replace him with the Ayatollah Khomenei? Not exactly a triumph for human rights, that. |
