There Is No War
Sheldon Richman, writing in the Baltimore Chronicle, has the guts to come out and say what nobody else dares: There Is No War:
“Are we At War or not? The answer is no, certainly not in the way Bush means it. Other commentators have noticed the disconnect, but most of them have gone on to urge Bush to demand sacrifices from the American people, such as higher taxes. Some even call for a draft, which would end all pretense that we live in a free society.
In contrast, I think the disconnect demonstrates that the apocalyptic War is a fiction. What danger exists grows out of resentment against years of U.S. intervention in the Middle East, not a desire to destroy American society. A noninterventionist foreign policy could reduce that danger. But the rulers won’t abandon interventionism. Too many political and economic interests are at stake.
Bush must know that what he says about the conflict is not true. There is no other way to explain why he has not asked for “sacrifices.” He realizes that if he imposes sacrifices, the fragile support for his “war on terror” will evaporate. He once enjoyed support for his war in Iraq, but that vanished as mounting casualties and increasing violence produced a sense of quagmire.
What we call terrorism is not war, but criminal action. It becomes war only if we make it so.
America is not under siege. There is no threat to its integrity as a society. No barbarians stand at the gates ready to overrun and subjugate us. What we call terrorism is not war, but criminal action. It becomes war only if we make it so. But war exacts a terrible cost on the country that prosecutes it. If you need proof, see the Military Commissions Act of 2006.”
If there is no war, there is no excuse.
There is no excuse.
Date: October 10, 2006
Categories: homeland insecurity, politics
(394 votes, average: 3.04 out of 5)
Loading ...
Recent Comments