IRAQ WAR: Pros and cons

Tom Grey, a strong supporter of the Iraq war, quotes this: "Now that Baghdad has fallen, here is my question to peaceniks: Are you against killing, or are you against war? Because what happened in Iraq suggests you may have to choose....Simply put, the number of innocent people who are dead because we ousted Saddam is dwarfed by the number of innocent people who are dead because we didn't. The use of American force is on one side of the ledger, and mass killing is on the other. Trends in military and media technology make this dilemma increasingly likely where belligerent murderers rule. You can keep your hands clean, or you can keep many more people alive. It s up to you."

RH: It is not as simple as that. We have to balance carefully the positive and negative effects of the war. This is difficult to do in the flush of victory. I was a small boy when the Allies won World War I. We children were elated, bought pseudo medals and pinned them on our chests. Meanwhile Maynard Keynes was writing his monumental Economic Consequences of the Peace. My response was natural, his obviously more mature and thoughtful. As I mentioned earlier, I am struck by the similarities between Gulf War II and the Mexican War of 1846-48. That war made clear the hegemony of the US over North America and promoted democracy in Mexico. On the negative side, there remains the deep-rooted suspicion of the US in Mexico and indeed throughout Latin America. Galf War II will leave suspicion of the US in Iraq, in Arab countries, and indeed throughout the Muslim world. Perhaps all those nations will be transformed into democracies, just as all of Latin America was, with the lamentable exception of Cuba. Perhaps we have established hegemony over the Arab world. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

Ronald Hilton - 4/16/03