The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 6 of 12)

/p> p> NOW HEAR THIS br> Re: Doug Bandow's A Long and Blinding Road : /p>

I really do not know how Mr. Bandow can speak of giving President Bush credit for pushing the "democracy" option in Iraq and the Middle East. How can you commend someone for something that never was central to his actions? The invasion of Iraq had nothing, nothing at all to do with bringing "democracy" to Iraq and the greater Middle East. This was a fall back position taken by your President and now everyone, including the Cato's writers whom I have admired, is speaking as though this "democracy search" was always the sole or even primary reason for the invasion and destruction of a sovereign nation, regardless of the despicable nature of its leader and regime.

Mr. Bandow speaks of fostering liberty. Who asked America to go around the world, interfering in the affairs of other people, to bring "liberty" from the muzzle of a gun, from the bomb bays of its aircraft, the muzzles of its helicopter gun ships? Does Mr. Bandow truly believe that a people so "liberated" will be forever grateful for America's destruction of their country, its callow disregard for the lives of innocents whose bodies "they do not count"? Why would any nation or people feel anything other than shame and self-disgust when their "leaders," no matter how murderous and the armies they control, fail to fight for at least the sanctity of the nation?

Please, stop this nonsense about President Bush being in favor of Democracy and wanting to see it in the Middle East. Better for him to try selling that pie in the sky to his allies in Central Asia, those who help in the war on Terror while they murder their own but are not even mentioned by America in its condemnation of murderous regimes. The facts are two-fold. The determination to go into Iraq was fostered and fueled by the simple fact that it could be done, that the country could not defend itself. The prize was its oil and more importantly the ability to occupy that country, in the heart of the Middle East and control through fear if nothing else, the affairs of neighboring states.

p>With such control, America could then be the sole arbiter of the economic affairs of the world, particularly its ability to deny access to oil by China and to a lesser extent India. Nothing wrong with self-interest, Mr. Bandow, but do not dress it up as some altruistic endeavor by this president and his acolytes. Most of the rest of the world do not buy this lame explanation, even if the grossly uninformed and jingoistic American public swallows it lock, stock, and barrel. br> -- unsigned br> Canada /p>

topics:
John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Business, Religion, Islam, Environment, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Iraq, NATO, Oil