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We Can't Afford a War on Iraq
By Charlie Keil, Lakeville
Following is an open letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee:
We can't afford a war on Iraq.
We can't afford it economically. We need to be putting money into research and development, new small businesses and new jobs for the thousands who have been fired from the collapsing giant corporations. Sending money to defense contractors to build expensive high-tech armaments and more million-dollar bombs that explode, destroy and produce nothing or are stored away and produce nothing—we can no longer afford the wasted capital that war represents.
We can't afford it democratically. The perpetual war on terrorism, the warfare state, may give the illusion of "energy" and "dynamism" and "security" and "killing the evil-doers," etc., etc.—but it is creating more enemies, more terrorists, more hatred of the U.S. around the world, more fear at home, more loss of confidence in the economy, more loss off freedom and civil liberties, more of everything negative. Democracy can't survive in a climate of fear, hatred, rising unemployment and scarce resources—or an "oil crisis" or a nuclear power plant melting down. We may be just one big accident or one non-symbolic terrorist attack or one natural disaster away from a "homeland emergency" or a declaration of "martial law." Or if a "low-probability, high-impact event" does not occur, democracy will erode steadily as more and more Americans join the 100 million who have already decided that their vote does not matter, does not count, cannot affect big decisions like war or peace.
We can't afford it legally, diplomatically, internationally, morally. Our new "unilateralism" has already diminished our credibility and leadership around the world. If we actually do some of what we are saying we will do—act unilaterally, attempt preemptive strikes or preemptive nuclear war, etc.—we will turn world opinion against us in a broad, deep and decisive way. Future generations of Americans may pay dearly for an arrogant display today of our power to destroy.
We can't afford it ecologically. The damage to the cells of every living creature on the planet from our continuing chemical pollution, radiation pollution, genetic engineering pollution and greenhouse gas generation are all accelerated by war spending, war production, war destruction, war poisons and pollution. War increases the burden on every living creature for generations after the war has been "won" or "lost."
This is not the time for war. This is the time for a transition to a life-affirming, sustainable, alternative energy, peacetime economy. The science, technology, and urgent need for this transition are all in place. Where is the political resolve to create a livable world?
P.S. — There is certainly a strong case to be made for arresting Saddam Hussein and all those in his regime who ordered and carried out the gassing and slaughter of innocent Kurdish men, women and children in the 1980s. It is never too late to take this case to the new International Criminal Court and cooperate with an international effort to bring these criminals to justice.
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