It Often Needs Force to Remove Evil
The Namibian recently ran an editorial, "Bush's Time Running Out?" I'd like to make a couple of comments concerning this article.
It is naive at best to think that a new, Democratic administration
in America would "spur on... a new and more positive turn towards a
more peaceful world?"
Much press is rightly given to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New
York City and Washington DC, but those were hardly the only
terrorist attacks against American interests (or on American soil
for that matter) up to that point in time.
In fact, throughout the former Clinton (Democratic)
administration, terrorist attacks on American interests had been
relatively frequent, and even a prior one at the World Trade
Centers had occurred.
In a word, it is "silly" to assume that things would get better
just by changing parties in the White House.
In fact, terrorist attacks on American interests have decreased
dramatically during the present Bush administration, and it seems
clear now in retrospect that under the former Democratic
administration, matters were much, much worse.
In other words, the "war on terror" is actually working.
Further, as in-depth investigations occur even now in America,
it is becoming apparent that the problems started long before the
current Bush took office.
For starters, the 9/11 attacks were planned and developed during
Clinton's adminstration, as it took the terrorists years to work
out their evil intentions.
As regards "world peace," often it seems that those who
criticize the Bush administration for going into Afghanistan and
Iraq have short-term memory loss.
As history has made painfully obvious, often "world peace" can
only come through force, through wars where innocent lives are
lost.
Often we praise countries for their independence struggles with
virtually little comment on the innocent lives lost during those
times as well.
The Palestinians, for example, have made a living off bombing
innocents in malls and on buses, but we have become so accustomed
to these tactics that we rarely bat an eye anymore.
But when Israel decides to eliminate the terrorist leader of the
terrorist organization Hamas, all hell breaks loose! How soon we
forget that Saddam Hussein was killing thousands of his own people
each and every year he was in office, if not tens of thousands at
certain times during his cruel and terrible reign (such as in his
attempts at mass genocide of the Kurds).
But those who advocate "world peace" would have us just sit by
and idly watch such a dictator, rather than actually do something
about it.
And here's the ultimate hypocrisy of those same people.
When the Americans do not act, like in the case of Ruanda, they
are labeled "criminally responsible" for the atrocities there.
But when they do act, as in the case of Hussein's Iraq, they are
called disturbers of world peace and even labeled as "terrorists"
themselves.
Sometimes, the only way to work toward world peace is to
eliminate the dictators and terrorists who are constantly
disturbing it, and that more often than not involves force.
Are those who are calling for a new administration in America -
and wishfully thinking that one will bring about "world peace" -
also asking us to negotiate with Osama bin Laden and other
terrorists? How quickly we forget the lessons of Hitler and Stalin!
While we sat "negotiating" with Hitler, he took half of Europe.
And while we sat year after year after bloody year, waiting for
Saddam to conform to United Nations demands, he tortured and
executed thousands of his own people.
You can never negotiate with terrorists or evil men bent only on
perpetuating their evil regimes.
Often, the only way for good to prevail is for the forceful
removal of evil.
Often, it seems that those people calling for "world peace" are
the same people so ready to cave into the demands of the
terrorists! Well, I for one do not believe that the phrases "world
peace" and "allowing terrorists to create fear and terror
throughout the world unabated" can go hand in hand.
Those who believe that having Saddam still in power in Iraq
would make for better "world peace" are coldly and selfishly
closing their eyes to the atrocities therein.
World peace was fostered by the ousting of the Taliban and
Saddam, not damaged by it! To say that Afghanistan and Iraq were
better off in their prior regimes is tantamount to saying Namibia
was better off under Apartheid than under SWAPO.
That would be ludicrous! The end of the Apartheid regime
required force to do it, as our President Nujoma made clear during
the Independence struggle.
Why on earth do we believe that it should be different
elsewhere? Often, the long-term desire for "world peace"
necessarily involves the temporary disruption of that same
peace.
Short-term losses result in long-term gains, as the history of
World War II made painfully obvious.
Where would Germany and Japan be today if Hitler and Tojo had
been allowed to remain in power? As we recently remembered the
anniversary of the attempted German extermination of the Herero
people in Namibia, why on earth do we think more lightly of
Saddam's attempted extermination of the Kurds? We should no more
mourn the removal of Saddam than we should of Hitler or the Taliban
or Apartheid.
Everyone will agree that Namibia's Independence didn't come soon
enough, and that if we could have gained our Independence from the
Apartheid regime before 1990, we would have gladly done so.
But when it comes to Saddam's regime, we were quite happy to
negotiate and negotiate and negotiate, while each and every day
innocent people were tortured and killed under his regime.
It is a sad fact of history that when it comes to our own
struggles, we want the freedom to come immediately, but when it
comes to the struggles of others, we have infinite patience to
negotiate.
Those who naively believe that words alone can remove dictators
are ignorant of history, and in the case of Namibians who believe
this, ignorant of their own history.
Do you think the Apartheid regime was removed by words alone?
Often, evil regimes can only be removed by force, and whether
American-haters like it or not, it is American might that more
times than not has come to the rescue of those people otherwise
powerless to remove the evil regime holding them in captivity and
enslavement.
"Victor Kuligin"
Much press is rightly given to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New
York City and Washington DC, but those were hardly the only
terrorist attacks against American interests (or on American soil
for that matter) up to that point in time.In fact, throughout the
former Clinton (Democratic) administration, terrorist attacks on
American interests had been relatively frequent, and even a prior
one at the World Trade Centers had occurred.In a word, it is
"silly" to assume that things would get better just by changing
parties in the White House.In fact, terrorist attacks on American
interests have decreased dramatically during the present Bush
administration, and it seems clear now in retrospect that under the
former Democratic administration, matters were much, much worse.In
other words, the "war on terror" is actually working.Further, as
in-depth investigations occur even now in America, it is becoming
apparent that the problems started long before the current Bush
took office.For starters, the 9/11 attacks were planned and
developed during Clinton's adminstration, as it took the terrorists
years to work out their evil intentions.As regards "world peace,"
often it seems that those who criticize the Bush administration for
going into Afghanistan and Iraq have short-term memory loss.As
history has made painfully obvious, often "world peace" can only
come through force, through wars where innocent lives are
lost.Often we praise countries for their independence struggles
with virtually little comment on the innocent lives lost during
those times as well.The Palestinians, for example, have made a
living off bombing innocents in malls and on buses, but we have
become so accustomed to these tactics that we rarely bat an eye
anymore.But when Israel decides to eliminate the terrorist leader
of the terrorist organization Hamas, all hell breaks loose! How
soon we forget that Saddam Hussein was killing thousands of his own
people each and every year he was in office, if not tens of
thousands at certain times during his cruel and terrible reign
(such as in his attempts at mass genocide of the Kurds).But those
who advocate "world peace" would have us just sit by and idly watch
such a dictator, rather than actually do something about it.And
here's the ultimate hypocrisy of those same people.When the
Americans do not act, like in the case of Ruanda, they are labeled
"criminally responsible" for the atrocities there.But when they do
act, as in the case of Hussein's Iraq, they are called disturbers
of world peace and even labeled as "terrorists"
themselves.Sometimes, the only way to work toward world peace is to
eliminate the dictators and terrorists who are constantly
disturbing it, and that more often than not involves force.Are
those who are calling for a new administration in America - and
wishfully thinking that one will bring about "world peace" - also
asking us to negotiate with Osama bin Laden and other terrorists?
How quickly we forget the lessons of Hitler and Stalin! While we
sat "negotiating" with Hitler, he took half of Europe.And while we
sat year after year after bloody year, waiting for Saddam to
conform to United Nations demands, he tortured and executed
thousands of his own people.You can never negotiate with terrorists
or evil men bent only on perpetuating their evil regimes.Often, the
only way for good to prevail is for the forceful removal of
evil.Often, it seems that those people calling for "world peace"
are the same people so ready to cave into the demands of the
terrorists! Well, I for one do not believe that the phrases "world
peace" and "allowing terrorists to create fear and terror
throughout the world unabated" can go hand in hand.Those who
believe that having Saddam still in power in Iraq would make for
better "world peace" are coldly and selfishly closing their eyes to
the atrocities therein.World peace was fostered by the ousting of
the Taliban and Saddam, not damaged by it! To say that Afghanistan
and Iraq were better off in their prior regimes is tantamount to
saying Namibia was better off under Apartheid than under SWAPO.That
would be ludicrous! The end of the Apartheid regime required force
to do it, as our President Nujoma made clear during the
Independence struggle.Why on earth do we believe that it should be
different elsewhere? Often, the long-term desire for "world peace"
necessarily involves the temporary disruption of that same
peace.Short-term losses result in long-term gains, as the history
of World War II made painfully obvious.Where would Germany and
Japan be today if Hitler and Tojo had been allowed to remain in
power? As we recently remembered the anniversary of the attempted
German extermination of the Herero people in Namibia, why on earth
do we think more lightly of Saddam's attempted extermination of the
Kurds? We should no more mourn the removal of Saddam than we should
of Hitler or the Taliban or Apartheid.Everyone will agree that
Namibia's Independence didn't come soon enough, and that if we
could have gained our Independence from the Apartheid regime before
1990, we would have gladly done so.But when it comes to Saddam's
regime, we were quite happy to negotiate and negotiate and
negotiate, while each and every day innocent people were tortured
and killed under his regime.It is a sad fact of history that when
it comes to our own struggles, we want the freedom to come
immediately, but when it comes to the struggles of others, we have
infinite patience to negotiate.Those who naively believe that words
alone can remove dictators are ignorant of history, and in the case
of Namibians who believe this, ignorant of their own history.Do you
think the Apartheid regime was removed by words alone? Often, evil
regimes can only be removed by force, and whether American-haters
like it or not, it is American might that more times than not has
come to the rescue of those people otherwise powerless to remove
the evil regime holding them in captivity and enslavement."Victor
Kuligin"