Posted 12:24 AM by Steve
WAR AND PEACE

(excerpts from "Carry a Big Stick: The Uncommon Heroism of Theodore Roosevelt" by George Grant)

"A just war is better in the long term for a man's character than the most prosperous peace"

"Things that WILL DESTROY AMERICA are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life."

"No qualities called out by a purely peaceful life stand on a level with those stern and virile virtues which move the men of stout heart and strong hand who uphold the honor of their flag in battle"

"A nation is not wholly admirable unless in times of stress it will go to war for a great ideal"

"Peace is generally good in itself, but it is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaiden of righteousness; and it becomes a very evil thing if it serves merely as a mask for cowardice and sloth, or as an instrument to further the ends of despotism or anarchy."

"I never advocate preparation for war in order to avert war; and I should never advocate war itself unless it were the only possible alternative to shame and dishonor."

"I abhor unjust war. I abhor injustice and bullying by the strong at the expense of the weak, whether among nations or individuals. I abhor violence and bloodshed. But it takes strength to put a stop to abhorrent things."

-Teddy Roosevelt

Posted 11:10 AM by Steve
(please note this list is completely sarcastic)

TOP TEN REASONS WE SHOULDN'T GO TO WAR WITH IRAQ:
10. Bombs dropping distract diligent Iraqi scientists working on weapons of mass destruction programs
9. Hussein hasn't quite killed ALL the Kurds with chemical weapons yet. Who likes Kurds?
8. He's already invaded Iran and Kuwait, maybe he'll take on North Korea and they'll finish each other off.
7. Saddam should be removed from power the way he gained power, by assassination and coup.
6. If Saddam can develop a nuclear warhead, he could give it to his terrorist buddies and destroy a major U.S. city. It serves us right after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
5. Material breach of U.N. resolution 1441? Details, Details!
4. We didn't stop Hitler until he had almost conquered a continent, to attack Hussein this soon would be RACIST!
3. Having failed the inspections, we'll just threaten to inspect him again! Oooh, I bet THAT has him shaking!
2. How will the families of murderous Palestinian terrorists survive without Saddam's support?
1. Give Peace a Chance!

For every stinky, jobless peace protester there are 100 regular, hard-working American citizens who remember 9/11 and support our troops and President Bush. This vast majority agrees with President Bush that if Iraq does not disarm, war is inevitable. Iraq's material breach of U.N. resolution 1441 is proof to the world that America isn't rushing to war or war-mongering. War is never the first option. The administration has used diplomacy to build a coalition and where possible they have been deliberate and thoughtful. No one is rushing to war. Anyone who truly loves peace realizes that a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction is not a reasonable compromise. We must not let the fear of conflict prevent us from doing the right thing. I know it's scary, I know it's war, but sometimes you have to face facts and be an adult about dealing with threats. The era of the "I'd like to buy the world a Coke." is over. Childlike naivety has no place in the modern world of Islamic Fundamentalist terror.

We live in a different world. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 have forever altered the definition of what constitutes an act of war. In the case of Iraq, we have reams of evidence that links Iraq with a network of loosely affiliated terror groups. We also know that Iraq has a horrible record on human rights. He killed over 5000 Iraqi Kurds (his own subjects) with mustard and nerve gas and probably far more through starvation. The United Nations has noted in their resolution that Iraq has consistently prevented international aid groups from helping poor, starving, injured or sick Iraqis. In this new worlds order, it is unacceptable for a country that is sympathetic to terrorists to have the ability to attain weapons of mass destruction. The risk is simply too great. We cannot allow the possibility of more vicious deadly attacks on our civilian population. Events like 9/11 have been known to spark world wars. We know that Iraq has been attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction and Hussein's track record of aggression is well documented. So is it a big deal if a few short-sighted people want to chant in the streets? Not if you consider that this generation of students has been taught that it's hip to protest! Many of their teachers were active in the 1960's and encourage this sort of behavior. The loud and ill-mannered minority who have taken to the streets are Anti-American at the core. Knowing that, we should listen carefully to what they say and DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE! :)

"Peace, Love, Dope!"
-Terrance Mann (James Earl Jones) in "Field of Dreams"