United We Stand
My European readers frequently ask how many Americans support the war. This question is very pertinent to them as some European politicians are taking stands with which many of their constituents may disagree. I typically reply that no one wants a war just for the sake of war, but most Americans strongly believe a war is a lesser evil than leaving Saddam in power. Less people will probably die in a war with Iraq than Saddam has killed in a year. But to fairly answer the question, I usually point out there is a sizeable minority on the American Left that supported the French position. However, this is starting to change.
When liberal columnists from Slate start agreeing with conservative columnists from the Wall Street Journal, one knows that America is uniting on an issue. Slate is critical of the thinking of German and French leaders - calling their schemes to keep Saddam in power part of a con game. Admittedly William Saletan isn't the clearest writer in the world, but my point is that many voices of the American Left are now joining their counterparts on the Right in a chorus to liberate Iraq. While Americans are aware of the protests in parts of Europe, they don't really care. Daniel Henniger (WSJ) points out:
The last time I recall the streets of Europe teeming with anti-American sentiment was 20 years ago, over the successful installation in Germany of the Pershing missiles, which began the final chapter in the Cold War. That famous spasm of anti-Americanism was not shared in 1983 by the citizens of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Albania, Macedonia and Croatia--the formerly unfree nations that today call themselves the Vilnius Group and whose leaders last month signed a statement in support of the American position on the Hussein government.
In fact, I believe the European protests are aiding in the converging of the American Left and Right to strongly support a Liberate Iraq policy. This may also be another sign that the war has already started. In America, the loyal opposition is free to argue the opposite side of an issue to ensure that decision makers consider the consequences of their decisions. Not only are the loyal opposition free to disagree, they are expected to do so - this is one of the strengths of a two-party system. However, once a decision has been made, most Americans then close ranks and support the decision. I believe we are seeing that occur now.
By the time the war enters the next stage, only the most radical politicians and protestors will continue to support Saddam in America. The overwhelming majority of Americans will be supporting the liberation of Iraq and watching the rest of the world with unusually interest. We will want to see who else cares about the Iraqi people and who continues to argue that Saddam should remain in power.
