Congress is considering whether to sanction the use of military force against Iraq. I'm strongly opposed to the idea. Sure, fighting terrorism ensures a peaceful and prosperous world, but the Bush administration's recent animosity toward Iraq stems less from sincere intentions to rid the globe of evil than from a political agenda'wave the flag, start a war and distract voters from the number of Republicans, Cheney and Bush included, implicated in recent corporate scandals. Meanwhile, Iraq is complying with U.N. demands, allowing weapons inspectors to scour the country for alleged \weapons of mass destruction."" Yet still, the push for war.
Also, America picks its battles when defending human rights abroad. Intervene in human rights abuses in Iraq, but look the other way when thousands are slaughtered in, say, Rwanda, or when the guilty party is an economic ally, such as China. Recently, Germany's Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin made news when she reportedly compared Bush to Hitler, saying Bush's militancy against Iraq is an intended diversion from domestic problems. The tables have turned since World War II. The tragedy of Sept. 11 provides a retaliation license, albeit one we've failed to restrain. Any American who, in blind patriotism, presumes our moral infallibility is asking for the world to hate them.
