Freedom's Fidelity

Friday, October 07, 2005

What Would the World Look Like?

Victor Davis Hanson takes an interesting and thorough look at where we might be had we decided to not invade Iraq in 2003. The article portrays Hillary Clinton and John Kerry chiding Bush for NOT invading Iraq, which I think is accurate as both of them did vote to authorize the invasion. (Of course every Democrat that opposed the invasion of Iraq suddenly wanted to invade North Korea (WHAT ABOUT NORTH KOREA!!!) who recently btw, agreed to give up their nuclear program) It's an entertaining thought exercise and a must read. I've been contemplating myself lately what the world might look like with Saddam Hussein still in power, as it is a question that is not asked often enough, if ever.

Critics point to everything short of perfection and declare failure, but the standard is not perfection, it's the alternative. If Saddam Hussein were still in power there would be 25 million more human beings not allowed to think, act, or speak for themselves, forever beneath the threat of torture and death at the nod of a tyrant. Palestinian terror groups would still be receiving millions in support from Saddam, instead of moving towards statehood. AQ Khan the international nuclear information trafficker would still be in business. Libya would not have given up its WMD program and Saddam would still be adding to his wealth via the Oil for Food Scandal while his people starved. Syrian troops would still occupy Lebanon, not to mention the thousands of terrorists that would still be alive and hiding in holes throughout the Middle East, rather than dead and residing in holes in the desert. That's what the alternative looks like.

No war is an unmitigated success. World War I demolished Europe and paved the way for Hitler and Communist Russia. World War II defeated Hitler but enslaved Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain. Yet these are wars that are conventionally characterized as successes. Where does that leave Iraq? In pretty good shape actually. For all of Iraq's security problems things are progressing. A constitution has now been adopted by freely elected, multi-ethnic Muslim government elected in January. This constitution will be voted on by the public in another weak and the Sunnis are increasingly taking on the attitude of 'the insurgency sucks, let's try democracy.' In 2001 such a prediction about Iraq would have been laughable, that it is now treated as inadequate speaks volumes about how much progress has actually been made.

posted by Paul  permalink | |