An Ultimatum
President Bush has given his ultimatum, and it is clear that the bombs will begin to fall and the armies will clash unless Saddam Hussein suddenly realizes that the game he has been playing with Fate for the last 30 years is finally over. As a member of the so-called “Warblogger” community, I have spent weeks fearing this day as much as wishing for it to come. But contrary to what those on the other side of the debate would have it, there is no rejoicing in my heart.
I am fucking scared. I can be sure about is that there are 250,000 men and women on the other side of the planet who believe in our country who no doubt feel the same. It’s just that the difference between us is that they are fighting for a cause they believe in with their lives, while all I can do is write my little essays, participate in the democratic process and speak to anyone who will listen.
The fearless do not experience courage. Courage is for those who are scared yet do what needs to be done. I saw it on the faces in the video taken during September 11. Seeing grown men, tough men, brave men so obviously scared yet doing their jobs – for some with their last breath…
That is courage. And I know that soon those young people in the Middle East are going to wake up, be scared yet do their jobs nontheless. The call to war, the horn that has echoed down through the ages, is ready to sound. For some it will be one of the last sounds they hear.
There is no glory to be had in Iraq just like there is no glory to be had in putting out a fire or hauling hoses up the smoke filled stairs of the World Trade Center. In a sense Iraq is a fire, and the debate over the past few years has been how big a fire it is. France thinks that it is a containable fire; the “protesters” think that the fire is candle light and are drawn to it like moths. However the United States and its allies recognize the fire for what it truly is, an inferno that threatens to burn down its neighborhood and ours as well. It must be dealt with now while we still can put it out – or it will have to be put out later, at greater cost in lives.
Just because we want to act now doesn’t mean that we enjoy war and killing. It’s quite the opposite really. I believe that all people have a right to freedom and that no one deserves to be oppressed. I also believe that not every one believes as I do, and recognize that there are some men who attain power who believe that everyone exists to serve them and will kill anyone who dares to stand in the way of the fulfillment of that belief. I believe that these men must be removed from power by any and all means. Saddam, the worst tyrant of recent history will soon join Pol Pot in Hell or Idi Amin in exile. Kim il-sung should watch carefully how this is done – as should any one who threatens the people of the United States.
