It seems once more I am indebted to my good friend Harlock for drawing to our attention the bizarre hypocrisy of government. However I'm sure that he is aware that the timing of the rather oddly named "National Sanctity of Human Life Day" was probably more influenced by the anniversary of Roe Vs Wade than the likely start of hostilities with Iraq.
If I have a complaint against the government (and I do, many,) it would be to berate them for reducing funding for sex education at the same time as bemoaning the rate of teenage pregnancy and the ever growing numbers of terminated pregnancies. It seems there is a certain myopia when it comes to the (shock horror) thought of teenage sexual activity. Perhaps if you want to reduce the number of abortions in this country (and even the most rabid 'right to choose' advocates must want to do that,) then maybe a better approach is to teach teenagers that protection is good, and abstention is better. As an uncle of mine once advised me, be good, but if you can't be good, at least be careful.
I shalln't comment on the abortion issue directly since no-one reading this is likely to change their opinion based on what I have to say and frankly I'm not interesting in documenting my views here. If you don't already know what I think, you probably haven't been paying attention.
On to the happier and less contentious issue of all out war with Iraq.
Yes, that's irony. Do keep up please.
The UN estimates that we'll have half a million Iraqi casualties? And for that, no doubt, the US is to blame. Perhaps the pro-appeasement lobby would be happier leaving Saddam in power so that he can kill them off himself? Estimates, after all, indicate he's been responsible for between and million and a million and half deaths since he came to power. Of course, at least them we in the West would all have nice, clean hands. The attitude of the French, German and, I'm sad to say, British people leaves me perplexed and frankly ashamed to be European.
The despicable act of betraying the United States when the very liberty of Europe is almost entirely a direct result of American sacrifice is almost too saddening to contemplate. That the French, who's country was twice liberated from the oppressive rule of ruthless dictators by the sacrifice of Britain and the US, should so readily abandon a foreign country to the very same oppression in the face of appeals from Britain and American is a stain on their national character and a dark day in their history.
Since it seems so difficult to understand why we might want to go to war with Iraq, let me once again state what I would have thought should be obvious to even the most backward, isolationist Frenchman or "Hollywood personality." Saddam Hussein is a ruthless butcher, who has tortured and murdered countless numbers of his own people and continues to do so today. He has used weapons of mass destruction time and again both on enemies outside his borders and on his own people. He will use them again.
We have evidence that he is building nuclear weapons. The choice, then, is simple : leave him alone to continue butchering and developing nuclear weapons, or stop him.
Perhaps the thought that President Bush might actually contribute directly and lastingly to the stability of the world is simply so disquieting to his enemies here and abroad that they are prepared to make any sacrifice to stop him.
Especially if that sacrifice must be made by the people of Iraq.