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One of these messages detailed a number of familiar reasons why we, the people, should be chary of jumping into a war to remove or disarm Saddam Hussein. We generally agree with these sentiments, but felt that we, in the spirit of fairness, provide a bit of balance to what was an unabashedly pacifist message.

Our response, spammed to all the recipients...via the simple action of hitting the "Reply ALL" button on our email software (Microsoft Outlook Express)...said in part:

The truth is that a civilization which consists of hundreds of strong nations and billions of people is complex to the point of chaos. Each strong argument on either side of the issue of warfare is readily refutable...

So, those of us who urge peace and prosperity as an antidote for war have a grave responsibility. In addition to moral persuasion and glib arguments, we must propose practical ways to spend our nation's treasure and the lives of our youth to achieve what we all so ardently desire. Simply stating over and over that violence is bad will NOT cut the mustard. Here are some thoughts that may or may not help.

The most famous historical peaceful figure, Gandhi, was an admirer of Hitler (at least before WW II)! Furthermore, his famous non-violent tactics were backed by legions of Indians hiding in the hills ready to wage war against the British if Gandhi's tactics failed and the Brits were well aware of this. Furthermore, the British public had tired of warfare and, like us, were civilized enough to deplore traditional colonial methodology...i.e. massacre...to solve their problems. The Iraq of Saddam Hussein has no such restraints. The loose conglomeration of suicidal fanatics, al Qaida, has even fewer impediments.

The Prince of Peace, Jesus, used moral persuasion and pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die arguments to lead Christians toward peace. But, only a minority of people in the world are Christians. These arguments have little relevance in, say, Israel, or to atheists like me.

The much heralded Marshall Plan and the U.S.'s work in rebuilding our former adversaries in WW II is almost universally credited with leading Germany and Japan away from violent behavior. Still, these two nations were already quite literate, civilized and advanced before we threw our money at them. Similar efforts at "foreign aid" on less developed nations have generally been counterproductive, if not disastrous. Besides, we all know what the road to Hell is paved with. Remember those yellow food packets we dropped on Afghanistan along with yellow land mines? Oops! Much of the world disdains our "assistance" because it always seems to come with hidden agendas.

Insight Magazine, a conservative news magazine published by the equally conservative newspaper,The Washington Times, which we regularly read as a resource for this column...among MANY others, liberal, conservative, libertarian, and "other"...had, as its cover story this week, an article entitled How Saddam Got Weapons of Mass Destruction. The purpose of this article...in our opinion...was to shore up the arguments of those who support the President's desire to destroy Saddam using military force. It collected a list of real and supposed events which, if nothing else, raise the distinct possibility that Iraq under Hussein continues a headlong rush toward the acquisition of weapons with which to threaten the rest of the world. In particular, there was a long list of "dual use" products which have been sold to Iraq by France, Russia, China, South Africa...and others.

What was NOT highlighted by this article, but which came through loud and clear, was that, with the exception of goods originating in China, it was capitalist entities in democratic nations which provided these goods, NOT the governments of those countries.

We believe there are two notable conclusions to be drawn from these facts. First, the companies involved were acting purely out of profit motives, which for capitalist firms is no big surprise. More ominously is the similarity of these actions to those that preceded World War II. While Hitler was planning to conquer the Western World, companies in the nations who eventually became his enemies...WITH the full knowledge and support of their governments...were supplying him with the very resources he would need to carry out his "plan." This plan, detailed in Mein Kampf was no secret at the time. Nor is Saddam's desire to dominate the Middle East...or more...a secret today.

If there is any grave flaw in modern democratic capitalist countries, it is the inordinate influence wielded by Big Bucks in the election of, and the subsequent apparent control of the behavior of, our leaders. We have no doubt that, as was famously declared by tyrants in the past, "democratic capitalists will sell us the rope with which to hang them!"

We are not worried about Saddam. He is a small potato. The militarists are probably right...although war always seems to be full of surprises...that we can defeat him in an historical eyeblink. We ARE worried about all those people who will die or be gravely wounded by the "collateral damage" that will inevitably arise. We ARE worried about the precedents that will be set. If it is O.K. for us to unilaterally wage war against those with whom we do not agree, why is it NOT all right for al Qaida to wage war against us? Finally, we ARE worried that somehow this minor conflagration will gradually escalate, as it has done in the past, into World War III.

So what is to be done? We believe that the only solution to the flaws of democracy is...MORE DEMOCRACY...the only solution to the problems of freedom, including free enterprise...is MORE FREEDOM! The very agency...Internet email spam...that stimulated us to write this column, is at the command of virtually every human being on planet Earth. Maybe, just maybe, we-the-people can avoid catastrophe this time. We have at our disposal the means and the motive...peace and prosperity...to counter those in power whose considetrations run more toward power and enormous additional wealth for the already privileged. Also, keep in mind Albert Einstein's grim prophecy,I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Surely something to think about...

Talk to you later...

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