DAVIS, Calif. — As the looming conflict with Iraq inches closer, sentiment against the war can be found in abundant supply on campus. I’d agree that our imminent conflict with Iraq is not likely to accomplish much, but to be honest I find the overwhelming antiwar attitude depressing. The truth of the matter is that I believe there will come a day when we’ll have to go to war with Iraq, and when that day comes, I hope that we are both ready and willing to go.
Why? Because sooner or later, when the Iraqi people say they want their own government and their own freedoms, we will have to fight for them. The alternative is to watch as Hussein’s Republican Guard butchers those who question his power, and we cannot let that happen.
What President Bush does not seem to realize is that we have a great deal to do before a war with Iraq will have any meaning.
First, the U.S. needs to put all of its efforts into brokering a peace between Israelis and Palestinians. As long as that conflict continues, Arab dictators can (and do) deflect blame for their country’s lack of education, health care, and human rights onto Israel and the U.S.
Second, we need to make sure Afghanistan gets back on its feet. We have quite the history of fighting the good fight in the Middle East and then forgetting the people we affect.
Third, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to remove any doubt that our intentions are anything more than a desire to see Arabs enjoy the same freedoms we do, and energy independence is the place to start.
Meanwhile, if we can broker peace in Palestine and develop renewable energy sources, we will prove ourselves to be a responsible global neighbor and our international support will grow as our list of ulterior motives shrinks.
Finally, we have to do the hardest thing imaginable: When the Iraqis (or Iranians, or anyone else in the region) ask for their freedom, we must win it for them. Because they cannot.
Our military could probably roll over any force in the Middle East. The question is: Will we still go when we have nothing to gain but the freedom of another? I hope we do. That’s why I want us to be ready for war … just not yet.