Before the past year I tried very hard to avoid politics, and tonight I was giving some thought to why it is recent events have made me care so much about the US government. The conclusion is that it boils down to an issue of trust — I would support the government if they could just do the following:
- Prove that the current policy of “preemption” is due to a genuine belief that fighting Iraq is the best way to protect America, and that the current stance isn’t being taken for political gain or to benefit the oil industry. Why is Iraq a higher priority than Libya or North Korea, or even peace in Israel? September 11 was a terrible event, and inflicting such a castrophe on another country for anything other than the most serious of reasons would be as heinous a crime as any country could ever commit.
- Tone down the arrogance slightly — the insults that are flying at France and Germany right now are not only inappropriate, but often border on ignorant. Additionally, the “if you’re not with us you’re against us” attitude can only divide the world further, rather than make the world a safer place.
- Spell out what it is that can be done to avoid war. “Disarm” is far too ambiguous when Iraq may not even have any weapons. Do they need to give access to all of their internal records? Is it enough to have 10,000 inspectors combing the country? There has to be a way to avoid causing death and destruction.
For those who support the President, I’d be genuinely interested in knowing your thoughts. Do you feel that the questions above have been answered, or is it just a matter of supporting the only person who seems to be willing to lead right now? I’ll be the first to admit that there’s no one in the Democratic party who has the courage to stand against public opinion, but the alternative of supporting a man who seems hell-bent on starting a war is an option that leaves me feeling sick.