George Bush and Dick Cheney have been condemned as warmongers. The conflict in Iraq was ignited for two reasons. Retribution for the 9/11 death and destruction in NYC, the Pentagon disaster and the plane crash and deaths in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Intelligence information indicated that Saddam Hussein was harboring weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
No WMD’s were discovered even though the possibility exists that the weapons were sent to some symbiotic country. Our men and women bet their lives against the lives of other sons and daughters who shouldered weapons to defend their country and their leaders. It seems reasonable to believe that we were not sending our precious youth turned warriors into a struggle for conquest but for release from Hussein’s tyranny.
That may have been an overwhelming mistake. Was it a mistake for President FDR, a liberal Democrat to send millions of our men and women to Europe and the Pacific theatre to help those people who were being attacked by axis forces? The Pearl Harbor strike forced the US from being an observer to a participant in what was probably the greatest war in history. Democratic President, Harry Truman is both revered and disparaged for dropping the atomic bombs that pressed the Japanese into signing papers of unconditional surrender
The Korean campaign was a ‘police action’ declared by President Truman. Entrance into the Vietnam War was kicked off under the leadership of President JFK and was perpetuated by President LBJ, both liberal Democrats. President Gerald Ford terminated Vietnam hostilities in April of 1975.
Who is capable of defending the rights of the oppressed? Is it the UN, the infamous debating society that issues proclamations of blame and warning with a bark but no bite? UN Delegates from all over the world spend their time enjoying the freedoms of the USA while pondering world problems. Is Russia a good choice for arbitrating differences where they exist in the world? How about Communist China with a huge industrial economy supported by the largest population of any nation? The USA is the world’s police force by default.
According to the Holy Bible, Matthew 24:6, “And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars, see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes entitled ‘A Time for Everything’ in the Holy Bible, Verse 8, states “A time for love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Wars have been with mankind since the beginning; war is with us now and always will be. Many of us are compelled to hope and pray for peace but nations have a corresponding duty to defend themselves.
Sovereign nations must maintain a force capable of fending off rogue tyrants like Hitler, Hussein or Putin. While no country should be so arrogant as to generate fear from other counties they should elicit respect from those that need help as well as others that should be repressed. Two rules that seem evident: Wars cannot be prevented and Peace is the result of one combatant winning decisively.
Consider the words of Virginia’s first Governor who, when addressing the House of Burgesses in Richmond on March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry said, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me Liberty, or give me Death!”
Russia invades a sovereign Ukraine, ISIS terrorists capture cities in the Iraq we abandoned, refugee children pour in over our southern border by the thousands and Assad continues on his carnage in his own country. Meanwhile, our President bullies the owner of a football team by withdrawing patent rights for the name Washington ‘Redskins.’ Perhaps 10% of the approximately two million Native Americans have become offended by the name that has existed for about 80 years. That is callow ignominy.
– Dick Baynton
