Friday, November 16, 2001

U.S. must wage war in reality
John Hoedeman is a columnist for the Daily Trojan at the University of Southern California.

America seems to have learned nothing from Vietnam. A few troops here and there, appeasement of protesters and an overall mediocre effort by the “forces of freedom” led to the debacle known as the Vietnam War. Our war veterans, who are truly heroes, fought for freedom, while a lack of impetus and an overflow of politics and propaganda in Washington fought the same war on the wrong side.

Once again, America seems to have found a way to make a mess of foreign policy, and similarly, a way to disregard the ideals of freedom, truth and morality that provide the basis for the United States of America. My generation’s Vietnam is called “The War on Terrorism.”

I have not heard such a blatant misnomer since California called its command-market power schemes “deregulation.” It seems to me, only mere months after the climax of Sept. 11, that the United States had no real intention of waging war on terrorism. This fact is no bother to President Bush, who, as long as he keeps up appearances, garners better approval ratings than even Clinton.

The fact that everyone loves to ignore is that governments that harbor, aid, abet or even condone terrorism must be eliminated swiftly and unequivocally. When gone, the Taliban and its sister regimes must be replaced with governments that allow the freedoms we take for granted in the West.

Make no mistake; this is as close to imperialism as it gets. Anti-Western, liberal hate-mongers who protest war and clamor for a peace that amounts to murder will absolutely hate this idea, a fact I find ironic given the relative condition of the Western world. Putting it simply, the Islamic fundamentalist countries that harbor and condone terrorists are putrid hellholes by comparison to the United States. Those who call for peace only seek to deny the blessings of freedom, self-interest and individuality to those who now suffer under these bloodthirsty regimes. Those who would trade morality for a shaky peace must question their rationale.

It is unbelievable that the debate over whether to postpone war for Ramadan was ever staged. Of course war should be continued over Ramadan. I would have no qualms about an escalation of war over Ramadan. The upshot of postponement would be one more month of subjugation and terror, a situation that is unacceptable.

War had been postponed even before Ramadan, and, more importantly, before the provocation of Sept. 11. The United States had significant moral justification to eliminate the Taliban and similar Middle Eastern regimes quite some time ago. And even now, after Sept. 11, what has the United States accomplished in Afghanistan? The greatest military in the world, with an arsenal large enough to destroy the planet, has barely made a dent in the Afghan wilderness. Bin Laden is still alive; this is testament enough. The United States has run out of excuses to stall the war and appease the protesters. It truly is time to do what is right. The United States must wipe out everything and everyone associated with the Taliban, al-Queda and terrorism. Now.

The soft approach the United States has taken on the war against terrorism comes from a lack of firm morality on which to base judgment. In truth, one must never fail to pronounce moral judgment, especially with future crimes at stake. Failure to pronounce the proper judgment on terrorists is the same as collaboration.

It is once again time for the United States to show its belief in freedom, truth and justice. We will not put up with another Vietnam. Our politically correct government must stop tiptoeing around morality. It is time for action.

John Hoedeman is a columnist for the Daily Trojan at the University of Southern California. This column was distributed by U-Wire.