Americans Guilty Of Caring
by Dr. W. David Currie

A few days ago, one of the carpenter's working on our new farmhouse asked me to join him for lunch on the tail gate of his truck.  During our conversation, this gentleman asked me where I was from.  I explained that my mother is an American and my father is a Canadian, and I had spent much of my youth in Canada.

We inevitably turned to the topic of the war in Iraq, and this gentleman asked me why people in some countries don't care what Saddam Hussein's regime does to the people of Iraq.  He then asked me if people in some countries raise their children not to care about anything but themselves.  And finally, he asked me if I didn't want to raise my own children to care about others.

This proud American who shared his lunch with me makes his living as a laborer.  He is neither a famous entertainer nor a powerful politician.  Yet he is rich and wholesome with a caring spirit.  As an American, he is willing to make sacrifices in order to better the lives of others around the world; in this sense, he lives the Truman Doctrine (see below).  This blue collar worker is not afraid to refute the statements of French, German, Russian, and Chinese statesmen who would have him believe that people in Iraq are perfectly happy, and do not wish to have other nations interfere with the repressive regime which tortures, terrorizes and steals from them.

So what of these nations?

Of Russia...

After the UN security council unanimously agreed to disarm Saddam (UN security council resolution 1441), the Russians and Syrians quietly went about the business of further arming Iraq.  Why?  There is big money in arms.  While the Iraqi regime claims that the US-led coalition is targeting civilians, which of course it is not, no one considers the possibility that Russian-made GPS jamming devices sold illegally to Saddam may be responsible for coalition missiles going astray. 

Nor does anyone consider that old model Russian arms used by the Iraq regime may malfunction, resulting in the death of Iraqi civilians.  Russia had Stalin, who like Saddam, killed and terrorized his own people and attacked and occupied as many neighboring countries as possible.  Russia is not too distant from its former role as leader of the communist USSR.  Russia is now an immature democratic state.  Americans should model democracy for Russians... not the other way around.  Feel no guilt when Putin speaks.

Of Germany... 

Having recovered from a lengthy bout of national socialism (read Nazi) under one of the most popular leaders in German history, a man named Hitler who killed and terrorized his own people, and attacked and occupied any and all countries sharing boundaries with Germany, Germany has moved to just plain socialism (or surface-only democracy), which is at least better than the stint of communism that many Germans lived through prior to the collapse of the USSR. 

Clearly, Germany has a plan to once again rule much of Europe, this time through a German led economic union.  Is it any surprise that, after both parties voted in favor of disarming Iraq, Germany backed France in its bid to coerce nations into an anti-American position prior to this most recent American-led bid to free the Iraqi people.  Read on!

Of France...

France is a partner in a sweet deal which has allowed France to receive much of the oil shipped from Iraq.  It has yet to be determined if France was involved in the illegal arms trade involving Russia, Syria and Iraq.  If you have listened to Chirac recently, you know better than to hold your breath waiting for France or its leaders to care about anything but France and its leaders.

While a few countries have criticized America for its pre-emptive action against the terrorist regime of Saddam Hussein, keep in mind that America was soundly criticized for not entering World War II fast enough... that would be the war in which US forces led an international coalition to liberate France from Nazi-German occupation.  But when criticizing France, let's keep two things in mind.  France did help America gain independence from Britain (hurrah Major General Lafayette) and France has had a bizarre history.

Napolean turned cannons on his fellow citizens and was credited with saving the French revolutionary government, which ruled by guillotine.  Following an incredibly violent revolution, the new government forgot to keep an eye on Napolean, who declared himself emperor for life in 1799.

It took a British-led international coalition to overthrow Napolean.  In 1814, all of Europe, especially France, breathed a huge sigh or relief as the increasingly insane Napolean was exiled to Elba.  Unfortunately, Napolean escaped to again terrorize his countrymen.  Napolean was defeated in short order by Waterloo during a pre-emptive strike against England and once again exiled, this time to a much more remote location (St. Helena).

France seems to have forgotten that, on at least three occasions, France has relied on other nations to rid their shores of dictatorial and terrorist regimes.

Of China...

Recall one event in 1989... Tienamin Square... communism one, democracy zero.  Many of us were foolish enough to think that the Chinese government would not raise arms against university students and their families; the world soon learned about Beijing-style justice... a bullet to the back of the head.

The government of China is not yet fit to criticize any country.

With the introduction of the Truman Doctrine to the US Congress in 1947, President Truman beautifully described the regime of Saddam Hussein.  Here is how President Truman described a "second way of life" that is not democratic.

"The second way of life is based upon the will of a minority forcibly imposed upon the majority. It relies upon terror and oppression, a controlled press and radio, fixed elections, and the suppression of personal freedom. I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures." - President Harry S. Truman, March 12, 1947.

The above concept is impressed upon Americans from birth . . .

• Bravo to a nation populated by people with the strength of character to believe in a better future for others, as well as themselves.
• Bravo to those who serve in the US-led international coalition working towards the liberation of Iraq.

And finally, may Peter Arnett and Michael Moore be forever doomed to work only with one another... the former recently fired by NBC for his anti-American stance on Iraqi television and the latter boo-ed off the stage for his anti-American stance at the most recent Oscar awards ceremony.

Dr. W. David Currie