Wednesday, March 5, 2003

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and yes, Mr. Spensley, I've read all about the causes of WWII. Any comparisons reside in the same universe where so many Americans believe we were attacked by Iraq on Sep 11, 2001. I repeat, there were no Iraqis on those aircraft, but there were 15 Saudis. You say you hear me loud and clear on what G.W. is doing wrong but nothing on how to solve the problem. Back to my original point: George Bush has created this problem. Not the one of defending ourselves against radical Islam, but cooking up this Middle Eastern bogeyman who must be dealt with immediately, and on our terms.

When we have been attacked and know the attackers, or have good intelligence that we will be attacked, we may certainly operate the way the president has been operating and with good conscience. When we are in the right, world opinion follows us, and by extension, U.N. approval.

This is a case where Bush began the dialogue with, "We will disarm Saddam Hussein." He did so without a smoking gun, without any sinister intelligence showing some disturbance on the Middle Eastern fault line. He uses words like "imagine" to justify war. He strong-arms some allies and buys others, but he convinces very few. His justifications are moving targets: Saddam will attack us; we must end his brutal dictatorship; this will bring democracy to the Middle East; he defies U.N. directives. So what is it, or is this the shell game where if you try often enough, you eventually win?

Now as for showing loyalty to the President and his bad ideas: "It is curious how the English-speaking peoples have always had a fear of one-man power, handing themselves over, lock, stock, and barrel, body and soul, to one man, and worshipping him as if he were an idol." Winston Churchill.

George Bush has done little more than a moderately capable janitor might have done in his stead. The military he uses was appropriated and trained under other presidents, the military plans are drawn up by men and women commissioned before he took office, the political blunders are all his. What would I do differently, Mr. Spensley? I would have recounted the votes in Florida.

Timothy J. Parker

Peachtree City