We Can’t Afford to Get This WrongSeptember 16, 2013
I have great concern that the United States stands on the brink of another ill-defined, open-ended and interminable war. Secretary of State John Kerry claims “limited action” in Syria is not the same as a war. He’s wrong. If Syria were to send, oh, say 100 or 150 cruise missiles to the U.S. with the stated intent of crippling our military capabilities and communications, how could we ever consider that not an act of war? By Secretary Kerry’s statement, Pearl Harbor would be considered a mere “punitive raid.”
An act of war is an act of war, no matter who sends it, or for what purpose or justification. It’s morally wrong to not call these plans anything other than what they are. It’s dishonest. So let’s call it what it is: Plans for war. Before I can support a war, I want to know: What are our goals? How will we measure them? How do we disengage once our goals are achieved? How do we prevent a repeat situation a few years down the road? How do we not anger the rest of the world? Our credibility is on the line. So is international law. So is America’s influence and moral standing around the globe. We can’t afford to get this wrong.
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