Stuff happens...and it’s untidy, and freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.
Month: November 2005
A Note on War
As of today, there is a big ruckus in the international media over supposed use of chemical weapons by American troops on Iraqi civilians. The chemical in question is white phosphorous. If white phosphorous is a chemical weapon, then so is gunpowder. White phosphorous is a non-issue. The targeting of civilians in a war zone, whether intentional or accidental, is. Continue reading “A Note on War”
Over the Horizon
Foreign policy is not theology…A foreign policy that might have been wise crumbles if the cost becomes prohibitive.
— Journalist Fareed Zakaria
We are now committed to a favorable outcome in Iraq, but it must be understood that this will require long-term assistance or our efforts will be in vain.
— Former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird
Iraq is a horrible conundrum. We are losing the war we wage there. The period when the final results of our efforts in the Persian Gulf were in question is long past. Yet, it also seems clear, we could win in Iraq. Our own history shows again and again that circumstances of a high order of magnitude rarely present themselves that we do not have the ability to overcome. In this circumstance, we are our own worst enemy. Continue reading “Over the Horizon”