[Culturechat] A Libertarian's Opinion About the Impending War

[WesTexas@aol.com]

posted by Will Wilkinson
Vacillation Update -- You'll notice that I don't say a hell of a lot about 
the war. That's mainly because I don't know what to think about it. Well, I 
know what to think about it; that's the function of having an ideology: to 
tell you what to think without having to do much thinking. My ideology tells 
me to oppose the war. War is the health of the state, and so forth. And it's 
true! It is. I do not want John Poindexter to know which brand of condom I 
prefer. However, my heart's not really in it. I can't convince myself that 
invading Iraq will be a disaster. But neither can I convince myself that it 
won't be. Actually, I'm disoriented by the strident confidence on all sides 
of this. There seems very little to warrant confidence. 

I am confident that there are a great many people who hate the US, and wish 
to do us harm, or to see us harmed. A history of bad foreign policy decisions 
on the part of the US is partly to blame for that. But it's really just a 
small part, I think. There is a spreading mythology about US power, and the 
malign influence of our culture, our markets, our military might. As 
preparations for the war have ramped up, and as the anti-war movement has 
ramped up, I have become increasingly amazed at the breadth and ferocity of 
hatred for the US, and what I take the US to stand for. And although I am 
nominally anti-war, I find it impossible to identify with those who cannot 
manage to see that Islam, as it is practiced throughout most of the Middle 
East, is straightforward misanthrophic tyranny, not one among many acceptable 
ways of life. My breath leaves me when I contemplate the moral atrophy of 
those who seriously propose that American values, or, say, George W. Bush, is 
a greater threat to humankind than a malignant ideology of mystical 
authority, institutionalized violence, and the systematic dehumanization of 
women and non-believers. 

Those of us who hold our Enlightment heritage dear can feel nothing but 
horror at the resurgence of pre-modern irrationalism and disgust at the 
willingness of those who enjoy the blessings of reason and freedom to declare 
solidarity with this undiluted hatred for the human. I don't consider 
opposing the war as important as opposing a doctrine and a culture that 
effectively enslaves millions, stunts the expression of creativity and 
intellect, and treats women like dogs. The case against the war is mildy 
convincing. The case against radical Islam is damning and airtight. 

It has repeatedly struck me that, after the relative successes of the civil 
rights and women's movements, the left has been casting about wildly for 
something at which to aim their righteous, moralizing fury. Well, how about 
the folks who take the heads off their daughters for getting raped? How about 
the folks who murder Americans en masse, and promise to do it again? How 
about the ideas that animate them? But no. Instead we are given to believe 
that the problem is our failure to understand and appreciate the complex and 
fascinating beliefs, mores, and folkways of the fundamentalist Islamic 
peoples. And that George W. Bush is Hitler incarnate. Something has gone 
wrong. 

If I thought the invasion of Iraq was a sure first step toward eradicating 
the politics of radical Islam, then I think I'd be for it. It may be that in 
my heart of hearts I hope for Paul Wolfowitz's wildest dream. But I remain 
unconvinced that we won't make it worse, as we are so very capable of doing. 
Still, I have little wisdom, and don't know the way forward. My libertarian 
soul wishes we could just shut up and keep to ourselves, but I'm afraid we 
can't. 

I envy almost everyone. You all make it look so easy.