Post-Mortem on Iraq Anti-War Demonstration

Dr. J. P. Hubert
Catholic Ethicist
©CCWVA

For anyone who doubts that the Washington political elites now support neoconservative foreign policy on the Iraq War, notice that not one "power player" from either political party participated in the anti-war demonstrations this past weekend. For example, Senator's Joseph Biden and Hillary Clinton both potential Democrat Party nominees in 2008 support the War effort despite complaining about the "tactics" being utilized by the Bush administration.

There is presently no one of note in either political party who has been willing to admit the basic reality (established beyond reasonable doubt by multiple serious investigators as I have documented in TCR essays) that American presence in the Middle East is fueling the Iraqi insurgency. Republican and Democrat leadership in Congress march in "lock-step" in accepting the basic premise that there are a finite number of terrorists who can be identified and killed and that they attack us due to an overwhelming desire to convert the world to radical Islam. While some do, the clear majority of insurgent terrorists in Iraq and Jihadi suicide terrorists elsewhere do so because of their stated opposition to American, (in their words) "occupation of Muslim lands." The Pentagon testimony yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee is a good example of the degree to which confusion reigns.

Our dependence on Middle East oil, needed to support over-indulgent life-styles has clouded our judgement and perpetuated a dangerous form of utilitarian (ends justify the means) thinking. We have employed a morally illicit "means" (offensive war) in the pursuit of a selfish "end" (the use of more than our fair share of the world's resources not the desire to spread democracy or secure the United States against another 9/11 [if that were the goal, we would secure the border]). Were it not for the reality of U.S. over consumption, the neoconservative agenda in Iraq would be unsupportable. Part of the answer is for every person of good will to begin voluntary aggressive conservation efforts. The last U.S. President who called this over-consumption problem to the nation's attention went down in flames due to our national addiction to pleasure and our fear of pain. All persons of good-will should re-visit the warnings of almost 30 years ago.