Sunday, September 10, 2006
Actions taint America's soul
Dan Radmacher
Recent columns
- Heading back to the debate in Appalachia
- Redistricting process must be taken from pols
- A shutdown remains a very real possibility
- U.S. Navy Vets case argues for campaign limits
From the RoundTable blog
"And if we ever give up the desire to help people who live in freedom, we will have lost our soul as a nation, as far as I'm concerned."
-- President Bush, at his Aug. 21 news conference
Nations do have souls, and America's is at risk.
Five years after the horrific events of 9/11, the American soul is bruised and diminished -- not by attacks or the continuing threat of further carnage, but by the actions that have been carried out in the name of the American people by the government we elected.
A government that has commissioned and condoned torture. Not panties-on-the-head frat antics or harsh interrogation, but honest-to-God torture: leaving people shackled to the tops of their cages for days at a time, beating them bloody until they either talk or die, suffocating them in burlap sacks.
A government that has, in the name of battling terror, asserted the power to hold American citizens indefinitely, without access to counsel and on the flimsiest evidence.
A government that conducted an unprovoked invasion of Iraq, estranging us from centuries-old allies and unintentionally validating Osama bin Laden's propaganda about an anti-Arab American agenda.
Though it is the government of President George W. Bush that has committed these acts, the harm touches us all. We are a country divided, with some accepting the administration's assertion that, in fighting terror, the ends justify the means.
Doing wrong in an effort to stop wrongdoing violates the precepts of virtually every religion and ethical belief system. It leads to a disregard of the sanctity of all human life, particularly that of distant peoples, who follow different religions and lifestyles. Doing wrong jeopardizes a nation's soul as much as it does an individual's.
It's not always wrong to go to war, as the defeat of fascism in World War II proves. Nor should any blame be attached to our military women and men, the vast majority of whom have answered their government's call to serve with bravery and professionalism.
While the administration's abuses, arrogance and abrogation of power have damaged the national soul, its incompetence has diminished the country's prospects.
A tremendous opportunity was squandered after the unprecedented terror attacks unified the nation and much of the world. Had Bush risen to the challenge, he could have harnessed that resolve and accomplished great things.
Afghanistan could have been delivered from the repressive Taliban. Instead, five years later, the Taliban has regained control of large portions of the country. With a fraction of what has been spent in Iraq, Afghanistan could have been secured and rebuilt, permanently changing the culture that produced the Taliban.
Without the diversion of intelligence assets and special forces from Afghanistan to Iraq, we might have captured or killed Osama bin Laden and dealt a death blow to al-Qaida before it had the opportunity to morph into the far more dangerous and diffuse organization it has become.
Worse, because of a fundamental lack of understanding of the deep tensions fracturing Iraqi society, a stubborn insistence on going to war with too few troops to secure Iraq and a fatal lack of a viable post-war plan, failure was practically guaranteed before the first volley of "Shock and Awe." President Bush is right about one thing: The consequences of failure in Iraq now would be grim.
That's something he should have considered before making the decision to wage this war of choice against a country that played no role in the World Trade Center attacks.
What happened on 9/11 was horrifying. What's happened in the five years since, much of it done in the name of the victims of 9/11, has been tragic. The nation has lost its way, led down a dark and morally dangerous path.
Starting on today's Opinion page, The Roanoke Times will explore what has happened in that time, and what has not. Over the next five days, we'll examine the vulnerabilities that remain and the balance between freedom and security. Finally, we'll attempt to offer a way back to common ground, a place where Americans can come together to fight an implacable and amorphous enemy -- without giving up the qualities that make America unique and enviable.
As always, we invite our readers to share their thoughts and to debate with us in letters to the editor. While there are many points of view as to how we as a nation should move forward, only an honest and open dialogue will help us choose the right path.
Radmacher is the interim editorial page editor of The Roanoke Times.
