|
|
|
|
|
March On What?
(Rant: September 2005) Over the
past weeks I¡¯ve seen fliers around coffee shops and bookstores promoting the Stop the War
protest taking place in Washington this weekend (9/24/2005). And while
there¡¯s little refuting the dubious origins for the war in Iraq, the global
over stretching of American military forces and Bush¡¯s lunacy in declaring
the war over prematurely, and then egging the insurgents on with his
"Bring ¡®em on" anthem, I¡¯m puzzled as to who the target of the
protest is. Bush? He has the most vested interest in getting the troops home
safely. The whole war has been a momentous public relations nightmare and his
legacy and effectiveness as a world leader has suffered as a result. At the heart of it, could it be that
Bush and his critics be on the same page? Stop the War, implies immediacy, and while I can
appreciate that sentiment and the concern for well being of sons and
daughters put in harm¡¯s way, the fallout if American pulled out RIGHT now
would be unsavory and daunting. Think about the Iraqi people stuck with a
nascent government that would implode into civil war and even worse provide a
safe haven for extremists and terrorists to set up shop. The hard truth to
comprehend here is that there will be a greater loss of life per day with an
immediate departure of American forces than if they stay the course. The endgame is a tough
pill to swallow, but the United States must do right by the Iraqi people and
the world even if it the bill is footed in part with blood. After all this is
a war. Granted not the people¡¯s war, but the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force,
reservists and so on, are volunteer organizations where people who enlist, do
so with the understanding that their life may be on the line. It¡¯s a noble
notion to serve for a noble cause, but the reality is that noble causes are
only made noble by history looking back in the rear view mirror, not the
conflict at hand, and there are far less nobles causes with every decade we
drift away from WWI and WWII. The entirety of the globe (with the exception
of insurgents and terrorists) wants the war over, but there¡¯s no easy answer.
Clearly Bush and his administration have struggled with a road map (it a
daunting task full of variables, bumps and pitfalls), but do the folk marching
on Washington bear a pragmatic proposal besides an unrealistic mandate to
pull out immediately? Have they considered what that will mean to the women
and children in Iraq when their world sinks into absolute chaos and violence
absent of the prospect of light, or even more so, their own security, which
will become imperiled when the terrorist claim victory, become emboldened and
employ Iraq as a launching pad for concerted assaults abroad. America may be standing
in the international arena with egg on its face, but it¡¯s important to finish
the job and make the world a more secure place. The protesters need to
understand that and Bush needs to understand that the only way to abate
future carnage is diplomacy and coalition building. He needs to tap the
international community. Make concessions. Get other allied Arab countries
involved. Appeal to the UN. The protesters too need to be less indignant and
more diplomatic if they wish to achieve their goals. A protest is fine, but a
solution is better. Shouting, ¡°bring my child home¡± is only going to mean
someone else¡¯s child will die. The struggle may be therapeutic and garner
attention, but it¡¯s not going to deliver a resolution. - TBM |
|
|
|
|
|