January 14, 2003
A "Dove" Speaks Out
Washington Post Ombudsman Michael Getler on January 12 questioned the wisdom of the Bush Administration's drive to war. On what grounds, one might ask?
A "dirty bomb" or other radioactive device might in retaliation be exploded in an American city. Assuming Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, he'd use them against the U.S. in the event of an attack. A war against Iraq might drain resources from the "battle against bin Laden". "The burden of war will be borne by a tiny fraction of Americans who happen to be in the military or reserves. No sacrifice is asked of anyone else."
No qualms over killing several hundred thousand Iraqi civilians, and generating a million or more refugees. (Hell, that's not even considered a "burden" or a "sacrifice". The least he could have done would have been to write that, "No sacrifice is asked of anyone else, excepting some niggers.") No qualms over intentional destruction of Iraqi infrastructure. No qualms over firing off hundreds of tons of radioactive munitions. No qualms over the illegal occupation of Afghanistan. No qualms over defying the wishes of U.S. and world citizens, or the international community.
Yes, some of the potential reactions he fears could indeed come to pass, possibly even devastatingly. But the war would be illegal and (one would think) scandalously, shamefully immoral before it blew up in our faces. And it ought to be opposed on these grounds.
What you can do. Not another fucking letter to the editor? Well, what else? The more they receive taking them to task, the more they're likely to include that strain of opinion in their letters pages. Keyboards ready! The Post's letters policy is even online, helpfully.
Posted by Eddie Tews at January 14, 2003 11:28 AM
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