Mistake # 1: A debate is underway as to whether or not we should go to war. We’re already at war. On 9/11/01 this became abundantly clear. We are not merely at war with al Qaeda. We are not merely at war with terrorist organizations. We are first and foremost at war with governments who give moral and financial support to terrorists. A government giving moral and financial support to a terrorist is no different from a government directly attacking us. Iraq’s government is one of our enemies. Our leaders seem willing to face this fact and destroy that government. We should support them. The harder part will come later, when we must face the fact that Saudi Arabia and Iran are our enemies as well.
Mistake # 2: It’s taken for granted that nuclear weapons will never be used. Leaving aside the fact that they already have been used, in World War II, consider the following: Has any weapon ever invented by man not been used? It’s not a question of if, but when. Most take it for granted that nuclear weapons should be completely off the table, forever, as a form of self-defense. Is this correct? Absolutely not.
Does anyone really think that terrorists — fully backed and enabled by the governments of Iran, Iraq, North Korea and others — would not use a nuclear weapon against us in a New York minute if they could? The U.N. speaks of needing proof that Iraq wants to destroy us. What more proof do we need that we have enemies who are not going to stop with suicide hijackings?
I recognize that these are words nobody likes to hear. People write in that because I am a psychologist I should not say such things. But it’s a psychologist’s job to speak the truth when people are in denial. I see denial every day of my work, though nothing on the scale of denial about the mortal dangers our country currently faces.
I hope that our leaders, at least in private if not in public, recognize that it’s only a matter of time before a government (acting either through terrorists, as Iraq and Iran do, or overtly, as North Korea likely would) attacks us with nuclear weapons. What kind of plan do they have to address this?
If you value your freedom and your life, you had better put down the metaphorical peace protest sign and hope that they have one. It’s the only hope that everything I’m writing will prove mistaken.
