Hidden dangers of war in Iraq

I’ve heard the crying by downtown merchants about how they are suffering and losing income because of pro-peace demonstrators. I appreciate what they have to say but wish to remind them that their suffering pales in comparison to that which we are imposing on the Iraqi people.

If it were not for the primacy of profit over people, this war would not be taking place. If merchants believed in aiding their communities rather than filling their own pockets, then we, as a nation, would not be reviled around the globe.

There are people who oppose peace. I do not understand them but accept that they have an opinion, just as we all have one. It is unfortunate for humanity that, for them, war is preferable to peace. It is truly unfortunate for the Iraqis, and perhaps for any other nation that might happen to disagree with us, that they are in the ascendancy.

By whatever measure you can apply, war is evil. Even assuming it is a natural state of man, it should be seen as a lower state of man, not one to be chased after, but rather one to be avoided. It is not a state of man that shows progress from the ooze, but one that shows just how close we remain to the primordial.

It is illogical that invading a country will be seen as liberation. If George W. Bush were an insane schoolyard bully and Mexico chose to liberate me from him, I would fight them, as invaders of my country, much as I dislike bullies. What makes any reasonable person think the Iraqi people would be different? But you’ve heard all this before, and it hasn’t made any difference.

While doing my time on the picket line Saturday I heard yet another reason why this war makes no sense. The reasons keep stacking up. It makes me wonder if anyone in the administration actually gave any thought at all to what they were leading us into.

This new argument goes something like this: A huge military campaign necessarily leaves behind large quantities of unaccounted for weaponry. This new military material will become available to the Iraqis. If you believe that they are just waiting to welcome us as liberators, then you probably believe this is not a problem. They’ll just turn it in.

Perhaps most of them will. But there will be others who will not. They will become the new terrorists. Time is on the side of the terrorist. A terrorist can choose his time and place to strike and then fade back into the crowd to strike again at a later time and place. With this war we have given these new terrorists both the reason and the means to strike at us in the future. Not exactly a “win-win” situation for America.

Yet most Americans support this war and believe that George W. Bush has shown a clear and consistent policy. I am left speechless.