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Oliver Willis and Glenn Reynolds both link to this Charles Murtaugh article on public debate (or lack of it) on ours war aims. When Willis and Reynolds both quote the same article with approving comments, you know that we ought to sit up and pay attention. I'll add my own approval to this do this (not that I expect to influence anybody by it). Even if we assume that Bush et al. have the best will in the world (yes, yes, I don't believe it either, I'm just making a stipulation for the sake of argument), we still to have that debate so that we that can hear their intentions and the reasons for them. So, as Reynolds suggests to Kuttner, write to your Senators and your Congresscritter, or phone or send e-mail if you can't or won't manipulate a pen. Tell them to introduce articles of impeachment against Bush, or a declaration of war on Iraq, or whatever you think is appropriate. Just don't let them, or Congress as a whole, get away with not mentioning the whole thing until, six months or six years or six decades from now, they can tailor their spin to the actual outcome and say, "Of course, this was my position all along, but I didn't want to rock the boat by saying so". We want public debate? I agree wholeheartedly. So, let's have one. No more cries of "But you can't question the administration's policies now; that would be treason!" Of course, the fact that you have questions doesn't necessarily mean that have the right answers to them, either. That's what's meant by "debate".
John "Akatsukami" Braue Wednesday, March 13, 2002 |
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