And now, we find ourselves on the verge of a war.  The rhetoric being used by the government to convince U.S. citizens that war is the appropriate action is so scary.  For example, President Bush said, “If you aren’t with us [against the terrorists], you are against us,” a logical fallacy that even my freshman composition students would recognize.  He encouraged us to continue happily spending our money, showing our patriotism by feeding the economy, otherwise “the terrorists will have won.”  Unfortunately, none of this surprises me.  I said during Bush’s presidential campaign that based on the way he talked about the issues and his concerns that if he were elected, we would be going to war.  I find no satisfaction in being right.

So, we started a War on Drugs that failed but we continue to fight.  Now, we add to that a War on Terrorism with no clear enemy and no end in sight.  Even with the worldwide protests against it, the sheer multitude of people willing to speak against it, and the lack of support from the U.N. and some of our most powerful allies, there is an arrogant reluctance to back down. U.S. Senator Robert Byrd gave a speech in the Senate on February 12, 2003 in which he said,    

This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time, International order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come…In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years. (Full Text)

© Salahub 2003