War and Preemption

The below linked post is extremely well written and deserves honest review and criticism. I find that I am unable to disagree with anything written. It is very worth reading as it was written before we went into Iraq; much of the noise and hyperbole was still to come.

As I read his post, and thought about what we are doing, I am of the opinion that our current action in Iraq fails the posted standard of the "just war doctrine". (And NO, please God NO, let's not talk about Kerry's 'Global Test' as this point. Let's just drop it, shall we? Please?)

I find I am completely in agreement with the concepts and principles of the Just War Doctrine, for reasons I will address later if it seems relevant. For now, just read his post and see if you agree with the concept.

However, this doctrine does not provide for the option of preemption. And so, I am in a moral quandary as I consider the "rightness" (no pun intended) of preemptive war.

This is something subtle and important, and, of course, totally lost during this political campaign. But, preemption is a potentially dangerous concept. A double edged sword, if you will.

Preemption could be the beginning of Empire. The US thus far has sidestepped overt use of power for the purpose of empire building. Nationally, we have not been interested in Ruling The World. And so, I hoped, we had sidestepped the historical inevitable end of all empires. But, the siren song of preemption would justify all kinds of military action all over the world. In fact, wouldn't the world be safer if the US just ruled the whole world? Hmmmm?

The concept of preemption as the primary standard for going to war needs careful examination. Meanwhile, as a springboard for discussion, I offer, from the loyal opposition, this post:

buggieboy: hapless soldier's sigh

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Quote a Blogger

This will be a sometime feature of The Glob. Aren't you lucky.

On those rare occasions when pressed on what he would do about Iraq, John Kerry says, "I have a plan." He won't disclose what the plan is so he should more accurately say, "I have a secret plan."

From Ronald Watkins

You Know Your Campaign Is In Trouble When...

You have nothing to offer but lies, even when there is actually an opening.

Bush hasn't said much about how he's going to deal with Social Security. And Social Security needs attention. So, Kerry is going to step up to the plate and hit a home run, outlining Bush's failings with regard to Social Security, and give yet another of his "I have a Plan" speeches, right?

Nope. All he can do is tell lies.

From FactCheck.org: Kerry Falsely Claims Bush Plans To Cut Social Security Benefits

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Successes in Afghanistan

An Excerpt from an article in OpinionJournal:

Meanwhile, the U.S. troops are testing an ingenuous high-tech way to ensure that proper medical care continues even after they're gone:

U.S. Army physicians in Afghanistan will test "talking" prescription bottles to ensure children receive their proper medications after physicians and other humanitarian workers leave a village. The workers typically leave behind a supply of medications with a village elder, who may forget instructions given for specific medicines. The prescription bottles, from Rochester, N.Y.-based MedivoxRx Technologies, are designed for use by blind or illiterate patients. At the press of a button, an embedded computer chip programmed in the local language describes the name, dosage, frequency, warnings and refill instructions for the medication.

These types of things go unheralded. Worth reading.

OpinionJournal - Extra