Three years ago, nineteen members of Al Qaeda hijacked four jet planes and killed 3,000 Americans. Today, three years later, Al Qaeda is stronger than ever, Osama bin Laden is on the loose, and 1,000 more Americans have died, this time in Iraq.Back in the day, the U.S. was engaged in a "cold war" against the Soviet Union. It was "cold" because we weren't actually shooting each other. Instead, we sent troops into Vietnam under the guise of fighting the Soviet Union. 50,000 Americans died in Korea, and 50,000 more died in Vietnam, and it turned out that the Soviet Union had practically nothing to do with either country.
Today, we are engaged in a new "cold war", this time with Al Qaeda. Only this time, instead of sending troops to flush out Osama bin Laden and his supporters, we have invaded Iraq. Once again, we're not going after the real enemy. Once again, our government is lying to us about where the danger to America exists. And once again, Americans are dying in a faraway country that was never a threat to us.
Will it take 50,000 more American deaths before we stop this madness?
George W. Bush has made this election a referendum on the invasion of Iraq. He has stated, despite all the proof to the contrary, that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States. He has claimed that all his diversionary tactics are making America safer. And he has ignored the consequences to our economy, our standing around the world, our safety, and our very lives.
If Al Qaeda strikes inside America again, it will be because George W. Bush failed to find him, it will be because George W. Bush failed to make our borders more secure, and it will be because George W. Bush failed to make America safer.
We shouldn't be surprised by George W. Bush's failures. After all, as a businessman he failed in almost all his business ventures. As governor, he failed to prepare Texas for the future, resulting in serious budget shortfalls, declining educational opportunities, and a rising poverty rate. Now, as President, he has failed to revive the economy, failed to improve education, failed to fix the rising budget deficit, failed to address the looming Social Security disaster, and failed to stem the rising cost of health care. Naturally, it follows that he failed to make America safer.
Meanwhile, Americans are dying overseas, fighting for something other than our security.
So why are we fighting this war?
Could it be that sonny boy wanted to finish what daddy couldn't? Could it be that little Georgie is in the vest pocket of big oil interests, who wanted to drive oil prices through the roof? Could it be that he's just the puppet of a corrupt Vice President who wanted to get fat, overpriced, war-profiteering, no-bid contracts for his "former" company?
Chances are we invaded Iraq for some combination of all these reasons. It doesn't matter. What matters is that Americans are dying and America is less safe.
100,000 Americans died in Korea and Vietnam. That was the cost of the last "non-shooting cold war". What will be the cost of this one?
Copyright 2004, Dan Jacoby
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