Down the Lonely Road

September 15, 2002

by Brian W. Peterson

They won’t go with us. They have decided that the United States lacks the evidence to topple madman Saddam Hussein and only their blessings provide us with the moral clarity to make a correct decision. Our European allies believe that only Europe knows best.

The natural inclination for many Americans is to say, "we saved your butts fifty years ago" and "if it weren’t for us, you’d be saluting the image of the Fuhrer right now." Both statements are true, but neither addresses the moral deficiency of our friends, with the notable exception of Great Britain, across the Atlantic.

Great Britain has stood beside us since the beginning of the war. Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke with eloquence and moral authority following our catastrophic day and has wavered little in the year that has followed. The Brits indeed have proven to be true friends.

The other leading European nations have not been as dedicated to a position of moral strength. France is afraid of its own shadow and lacks the fortitude to fight off an invasion of bobble head dolls. Germany is up to its eyeballs in providing technology and equipment to Iraq and other rogue nations. Italy... Italy? Are they still a country? If we need to fly warplanes through their airspace, they will suddenly rediscover their sovereignty.

If we feel the need to depend upon the rest of the world to approve of our desire to destroy those who wish us destroyed, then we will be fortunate to even exist as a nation at the end of this century. Let the rest of the world beg and grovel to each other; we’ve got a war to fight.

When (not if) we march into Iraq and take out facilities that are used to manufacture chemicals that can be used in warfare, we will find German equipment in those facilities. When we uncover sensitive Iraqi documents, we will find know-how provided by German companies. The German government will be thoroughly embarrassed. Naturally, Germany does not wish us to invade Iraq.

Other countries may have their own presumably "noble" motives, but such motives are not our concern. We were attacked on September 11, not Europe. While there were many nationalities working at the World Trade Center at the time, the overwhelming majority of those killed were our people. That was our Pentagon that was damaged, where American citizens were killed. Flight 93 was headed toward our Capitol. We do not need the approval of Europe, the United Nations, or Nelson Mandela to wage war to avenge September 11 and to prevent future attacks.

Yamamoto famously noted that the attack on Pearl Harbor awakened a sleeping giant. We are - by design - slow to act, slow to react. We are deliberate and we avoid haste. But we have awakened.

Weakness does not emanate solely from the outside world. House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi (D- CA) recently said that "if we go in (to Iraq) we show our power. If we stay out we show our strength." This silliness is thought to be deep philosophical prose by her constituents and fellow travelers. She claims to resist war with Iraq in order to "save lives."

Pelosi and her soul mates in Congress are currently attempting to construct a risk-adverse scenario that borders on the absurd. They wish to save the lives of those trained to risk their lives but leave exposed innocents who make the mistake of going to work in a big office building or government facility.

Next we shall see Rodney King asking Saddam Hussein and President Bush to hold hands over Ramadan. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D - SD) will then complain that it’s not enough; we should attack Iraq the moment President Bush bursts into the second verse of "That’s What Friends Are For."

Of course, if President Bush still wants to attack Iraq after the love-in, then Daschle will call for restraint.

Our leaders must not lose sight of the fact that we were attacked and we must answer the call. We cannot hide behind the rest of the world lest we appear weak. Weakness encourages aggressors.

If the rest of the world will not follow us, so be it. It was our current president who so famously said, "You are either with us or you are with the terrorists." It is time for Europe and the rest of the world to choose sides.

Americans must accept that, sometimes, doing what is right and best is a lonely option. People say that the road to hell is lined with good intentions. If we run this war properly, the road to hell will be lined with al-Qa’eda terrorists and those who wish to destroy America - including Saddam Hussein.

_________________________________________

Brian W. Peterson writes a political column for the Antelope Valley Press (circulation approximately 60,000) in Palmdale, California. He is a graduate of Oral Roberts University, where he majored in TV/Film. Brian’s weekly commentary and newspaper columns can be found at www.LifeAndLiberty.com.

Send the author an E mail at Peterson@ConservativeTruth.org.

For more of Brian's articles, visit his archives.