They All Died in
Vain
Magic City Morning Star
Charles Cutter
By Charles Cutter
(www.cuttersway.com)
Jan 27, 2005, 19:24
The past week has seen an interesting confluence of events -
the presidential inauguration of George W. Bush, the confirmation
of Dr. Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, and the deadliest
single day for U.S. troops in Iraq.
It's a neat package: The man who wanted the war, the
woman who helped sell the war, the soldiers who die in the
war.
First, from a Washington Post editorial (1/27/05): "Yesterday
was the deadliest day yet for the U.S. mission in Iraq: 37
American service members were killed…[it is] a
particularly shocking reminder of the painful price this country
is paying in Iraq, and of the courage and patriotism of those
Americans who give or risk their lives. They deserve our
undiminished honor."
Before we bestow any such honors, however, let's take a
look at the Senate hearings on Dr. Rice's nomination.
Although she was confirmed by a substantial margin - 85 to 13,
with two senators not voting - she nonetheless received the most
"no" votes for any Secretary of State nominee since World War II.
The primary point of contention had to do with her manipulation
of pre-war intelligence regarding Iraq; and, in addressing that
issue, several Senators voiced stronger opinions than are
generally expressed in such hearings.
Senator Mark Dayton (D-MN): "I really don't like being
lied to…repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally…My
vote against this nominee is my statement that this
administration's lies must stop now."
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) was only slightly more diplomatic:
"Dr. Rice is responsible for some of the most overblown rhetoric
that the administration used to scare the American people."
Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) referred to the Iraq war as "a
catastrophic failure, a continuing quagmire" with Condoleezza
Rice as "a principal architect of our failed policy."
In the end, of course, Dr. Rice was confirmed, with only
twelve Democrats - and independent James Jeffords of Vermont -
voting against her. The "yes" votes included such prominent
Democrats as Hillary Clinton (NY), Joseph Biden (DE), Patrick
Leahy (VT) and Dianne Feinstein (CA).
It was California Democrat Barbara Boxer who offered the most
condemnatory assessment of Rice's qualifications. In a
lengthy and detailed statement she outlined the pattern of deceit
attributable to Dr. Rice. Quoting their own words, Ms. Boxer
showed that both Rice and Bush used exaggerated or incorrect
information to mislead and inflame the American public on such
issues as Iraq's nonexistent nuclear weapons program and
Saddam Hussein's nonexistent ties to al-Queda. Senator
Boxer also outlined Dr. Rice's efforts to permit the U.S.
to use torture as a tool for interrogating suspects.
In the final analysis, it is another comment from Senator
Boxer that sheds a clarifying light on the nature of war itself:
Referring to our "brave, incredible soldiers" in Iraq, she said,
"…not one of them died in vain…because when your
Commander in Chief sends you to fight in a war, it is the most
noble of things to do that."
This statement is as disturbing as any of the deceptions
attributed to Dr. Rice or Mr. Bush. Nobility, according to
Senator Boxer, is conferred through blind obedience to obvious
lies and deception. Nobility can be conferred by killing, and
being killed, in the course of an illegal war.
"Not one of them died in vain?" They all died in vain.
George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice may start wars, but the
glorification of wars starts with the attitude expressed by
Senator Boxer - and the editorial board of the Washington Post -
that every soldier is a hero, a noble creature of courage and
patriotism deserving "undiminished honor."
A more rational perspective: "We shall never end war by
blaming it on ministers and generals or war-mongering
imperialists…It's the rest of us who build statues
to those generals or name boulevards after those
ministers…the rest of us who make heroes of our dead and
shrines of our battlefields…" (Paddy Chayefsky, The
Americanization of Emily)
Yes, some wars are necessary. Vietnam was not; neither is
Iraq. But even a necessary war should be entered into as a last
resort; it should be waged with the understanding that war itself
is a failure of reason; and it should be concluded - even in
victory - as a solemn occasion.
Forget the honors. Forget the glory.
A soldier's medals are merely seeds for the next
conflict.
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