Kevin, I did say "just about." But I do take issue with the assertion that "my sense from reading the anti-war left is that they don't really take the danger of terrorism and unstable states seriously." I mean, I take them very seriously. I think I take them more seriously than someone like Michael Ledeen who apparently thinks that North Korea is a Shi'Ite Arab state. I just don't think this war is motivated by fighting terrorism. I don't think it will reduce expected future victims of conflicts - ours or those in the Arab world. In fact, just the opposite. A lot of people are going to die in the war, and probably quite a few more will die in its aftermath. I don't think this little adventure would be likely to, in its best-case scenario, do a damn thing to help stabilize the Arab world and reduce future conflict there. And, given the bunch that's running the operation I think one would have to be insane to think we'll get anywhere near a best-case scenario.
I'm sure there are some idealistic peaceniks who underestimate the possible dangers of future terrorism, but I'm one who thinks it is the war hawks who are doing it. Happy to, and hope to be, proven wrong in all of this, but my opposition to this war rests mostly on the firm belief that it makes the world, and our country, a much more dangerous place, not a safer one.
And, as for the (almost) "worst argument ever"....well, I think it only works if you really think the world is this giant comic book populated by various supervillains. Call this the Goldberg view of the world, after noted comic book collector Jonah Goldberg. I mean, simply not going to war this month isn't going to alter the state of the world or "encourage our enemies" who will "think us weak" unless you have the worldview of your average teenage warblogger. We can go kick Saddam's ass any time we want, and the instant he actually came close to having a nuclear weapon instead of, say, the desire to one day have one like the rest of the world, we could go kick his ass good and proper.
Patrick has more.
