| Power, Prejudice and a (maybe) Neo-Conservative's View of Current Events - Part 1 |
There's a case to be made that I've turned into a "neocon," over the years. Between living in San Francisco, working here (in a variety of careers which Hollywood would likely label "reality based,") and the natural aging process, I've swung pretty far to the right. Especially when you consider what a little whiner I was at age sixteen. I maintain no illusions that this is unique to me. The old adage that aging punkers make asshole lawyers holds very true, across the board.
Yet, I do maintain many views that are commonly labeled "liberal." For instance, I am pro-environment, don't have a problem with people of the same sex having sex (or getting married for that matter), women in the military, women in the highest offices of government, affordable health insurance, not letting the elderly rot through their "golden years," etc. On the flip side, I can't say that I'm anti-war. I'm pro-war, if the cause is just. It's just unfortunate that war is the topic-de-jour for people on both sides of the political spectrum..
I have mixed views on our current military action in Iraq, though I have great respect for our soldiers. I was suspicious of the war from the get-go. I believe that the world is better off without Saddam Hussein, his removal should be seen as a victory for freedom. However, I can't help but think our primary motivation for war wasn't so much human rights issue as a desire to have a controlling oil-interest in the Middle East. I also believe that America was misled, be it consciously or otherwise, to mobilize against Iraq.
Al-Qaeda was a threat far before September 11th and the repeated failures to take action, when it was clear that we were in danger, should not be overlooked. The USS Cole's bombing and the attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi are two, major, examples of this. Thus, it's clear that the Bush administration is not privy to all the blame (he wasn't elected yet). Our delusions of safety and utter lack of outrage for these egregious acts still dumbfounds me to this day.
But I don't think I'll ever not be confused as to why our combat action in Afghanistan, which, to paraphrase David Cross, "Nader would have bombed," was so limited in scope. I'm no expert military analyst but it seems pretty clear that this invasion was too small and too slow. Al-Qaeda is centered in Afghanistan so you FLATTEN Afghanistan. Even if Bin Laden escaped (oh, he did?), we Americans, who are supposedly leading the crusade against illegal drugs, had the opportunity to cripple a large portion of heroin production for the world. In 2001, Afghanistan was estimated to be responsible for about 75% of the world's opium production. This includes most of the opium traveling to Europe and North America. That number decreased slightly for the next few years but is now back at "record levels," according to the US State Department. I'm no statistics major but it's a pretty interesting coincidence that the invasion of Iraq coincides with the resurrection of the opium trade in Afghanistan.
Regardless, I maintain the hope that Iraq will one day be a peaceful and prosperous nation. I also hope that one day we will look back at the death and destruction, and see that the loss of life and horror was not in vain. Maybe Iraq, much like Japan was after The Bombs were dropped, will be a nation of pacifists.
Regardless of what the motives were for the invasion of Iraq, our brave and honorable (for the most part) soldiers are now fighting terrorists there. We are killing terrorists there and we are meeting Al-Qaeda in battle and winning, though popular media seems to portray otherwise. Insurgents are coming from all over the world to try to kill Americans in Iraq. I believe this is in no small part because it's easier than trying to kill Americans in America. My only problem with this: are we making as many terrorists as we are killing (because of a war that many believe was unjust and unethical)? Also, I can't help but wonder if Afghanistan would have become such a large battlefront over time? I don't think it would have.
I'm not really looking for answers to these questions but feel free to share your opinions. Honestly, I want to be proven wrong. I want to believe, 100%, that we are doing the right thing in Iraq. I'm also not about to ever call myself a peace activist. I just would have liked to see events concerning national security play out a little differently.
Despite my feelings towards the war and my dislike of the bulk of this administration, I pray for the safety of our troops and thank them for their service.
On to PART 2... |
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