Saddam Hussein is now under the control of the American armed forces, and the President and our allies will proudly proclaim “mission accomplished,” “we got him!”
Nothing could be further than the truth.
Today, after thousands of Iraqi deaths, enough Iraqis in the right place overcame their fear and stood up to challenge Saddam Hussein. They were not the first, only the first ones who were successful.
America has been waging a campaign with the cloak of Liberty, but has more often than not been using money as a bribe to entice compliance with our goals.
The message for the world, our allies and foes alike, is that the ends justify the means. Regrettably, this is the same moral position of the terrorists. The Iraqis, as a result of overcoming their fears, may now find the path to a free society. I hope so for them, but we should not wrap our choice in moral pride. The ends do not justify the means.
Had Saddam been a gentleman tyrant, he would still be in power. We would have done little to advance the cause of Liberty and the self-governence of the Iraqi people had he not invaded Kuwait. Our history is clear on that point, and the President’s recent message to Taiwan to not seek independence proves the point yet again.
Our corporations will move in, make huge investments of capital, all for the purpose of getting a financial return. With or without the overcharging for specific contracts, this war of liberation is ultimately about protecting “business as usual.” The invasion of Kuwait disrupted business. Our desire to reward contracts to only those who bend to our will is how we continually prostitute the concept of Liberty.
Osama bin Laden states in his Letter to America that the only language America understands is violence. While we are certainly not the only ones who speak this language, we should at least be honest with ourselves.
This was never a war for peace, it was a war for victory. We will not find peace until we recognize how shocking and awful our motives are. We will spend ungodly sums to kill people, to make the world safe for corporations.
The Iraqi people have overcome their fear. I hope one day America can do the same.
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