By Brad Atzinger
When news from the front proves grimmer by the day, it is the natural instinct of any patriotic, god-fearing American to become dissatisfied with any given war. When it comes to military conflict, we democratically-minded peoples don’t have quite the staying power needed to get the job done.
This lack of stamina, of course, is one of the many inherent virtues of a free people; for when a nation can be roused to a violent fury for an extended period of time, well, that’s a serious problem.
While we, as a nation, are experiencing a desperate regurgitation of President Bush’s Iraqi Adventure, it is important to put down the burning effigies for a moment and think about the implications of a troop withdrawal from Iraq. Many agree that we were led into Iraq under questionable pretenses, but to dwell on this would be to think regressively.
Perhaps we should instead dwell on this fact: every American, from the wackiest of gun-nuts to the pinkest of commies, has been free from terrorist attacks since military operations began in the Middle East.
For a moment, think about how bad things are right now in the Middle East. Think about the car-bombs and the sectarian violence, and the growing desperation of al-Qaida.
But what will happen to the potential Mesopotamian ally once the last American soldier leaves the country still a mess? What happens when Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi’s Democrats finally manage to strangle funding from troops on the ground?
To find the answer, one must look no further than the history of the United States. The pacifist strategy of retreating into an isolationist shell proved disastrous to the U.S. after World War I, and the current push for withdrawal threatens the security of America.
The question “are you for the war or are you against the war?” no longer exists. There is merely the fact that we are there, and there is no way out other than stability, because to retreat now would spell disaster for the U.S.
When the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred, President Bush had to make the decision to fight terror in the streets of the U.S. or in the streets of Baghdad. He made the only choice a president could make, and any candidate who says he would have done differently is lying to you.
The question remains, “Why Iraq?” The ties between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, as we have learned, were perhaps grossly exaggerated.
The administration misled the people about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and shame on them. I’m not defending the President or anyone else involved in lies and deception. However, Iraq was still a rogue state, and an enemy of the U.S.
It also was a potential battleground that could effectively lure neighboring extremists to their deaths. In effect, Iraq was the ideal geographical target for the war on terror, with its central location in the Middle East.
Over the past few centuries, the world has taken a turn for the better. Mankind has progressed to embrace liberty, democracy and equality as foundations of society. This gradual change can be noted in the makeup of the enemies of the U.S. from absolutist monarchies to cruel fascists to crippling communism to religious fanaticism.
As these enemies are systematically crushed under the might of the free American people, the trend of global democratization remains constant, and those radicals that would take up arms against liberty are replaced by the reasonable, peace-loving leaders who will more completely represent the interests of mankind.
The world is truly moving towards democratic brotherhood, and the U.S., as the world’s most powerful and prosperous of free societies, is merely taking the final necessary steps to reach this ideal of an international coalition of free people.
And while we, as a nation, are forced to bear this burden, mired in a seemingly misguided war, we must find guidance in the prospect of a democratic Iraq, and eventually a democratic Middle East.
Rather than bickering about what went wrong, Congress should focus on how to make things right, for democracy at the barrel of a gun is better than no democracy at all.
Brad Atzinger is a sophomore majoring in political science. E-mail him at batzinger@louisvillecardinal.com
