Why I think we are at war

[Mort from NewYawk]

Beef –

Let me echo the sentiment – good to read your posts again.

Yes, I agree that the neocons are responsible for the philosophical rationale for this war.

Sure, the fact that America stands unchallenged in military might means that we can topple regimes, but  the piece you omit is what happens between the regime change and the democratic state. The thrust of twentieth century American foreign policy is represented by guys like Perle and Wolfowitz, who learned and shaped it under men like Scoop Jackson and Ronald Reagan . The idea is that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness really are natural rights that humans deserve, and that America has some responsibility in the world to uphold these rights where we can and when we must. With suicidal fanaticism running rampant and terrorizing whole populations (Arab more than anyone else), we must.

Iraq’s population has been terrorized so long that it’s become a habit for them. But I believe that a majority would like to rid the streets of religious crazies, as well as American troops. The Baathists and al-Sadrs are being isolated and destroyed, and the major players in Iraq are more than ready to jockey for political position.

The death of a single soldier is a tragedy, yet I am not a pacifist. There is good reason to hope that these soldiers will not have died in vain.