Logic Times
Posted by Aslan, 12/16/04, 11:56pm. Comments (2)
The Logic Times Fuzzy Moral Math essay demonstrates that opposition to the Iraq war based upon concern for Iraqi civilians is without merit. The plight of Iraqi citizens today is vastly improved, even when one only considers “probability of collateral death” as an appropriate measure of well-being. Statistics reveal that the average Iraqi civilian is roughly three times less likely to die today as a result of military/governmental forces than at any time during Saddam’s reign. This shallow analysis, of course, ignores the importance of freedom, suffrage, education, and equal rights in the well-being equation.
Recognizing that concern for Iraqi civilians was bad cover for anti-American sentiments, many liberals have scurried for new cover: concern for American lives, in particular, our soldiers in harm’s way.
This position is an uncomfortable one for anti-war liberals – to be on the side of what they believe has always been a source of great imperialistic evil in the world: the American military. Furthermore, if they claim greater concern for the lives of American soldiers than the lives of Iraqi civilians, the anti-war left violates yet another sacred commandment of globalism: that every life is equally valuable. As a Christian, I do acknowledge that every life is equally precious before God. However, the foreign policy of the United States – indeed, the foreign policy of any country - has different obligations: to preferentially protect and defend its own citizens. And while this pro-American bias is to be expected in United States foreign policy, it is surprising to say the least coming from establishment liberals, where America-bashing is sport. But necessity is the mother of invention, and need has driven many on the left into using support for the troops – which they know has popular appeal – to denounce the war effort (and the administration).
The basic premise is simple: the cost is not worth the benefit - or, to use more appropriate language, our objectives in Iraq and the Middle East are not worth the sacrifices of our military men and women.
Let me stress that one soldier lost is too many; nowhere will you find a stronger supporter of our heroes in the military than here at Logic Times. As a matter of war, however, lives are lost. In fact, as a matter of life – not just war – lives are lost. One cannot avoid the casualties of life – but one can take action when the cost in human life exceeds the benefit of the activity, such as with coal mining in the 1800s. And here is where our fledgling military enthusiasts are exposed as hypocrites once again.
If anti-war liberals take the stance that the cost in American lives is too great for the objective (defense of America, propagation of liberty, opposition to terrorism), what then does their silence say about the loss of American life in other endeavors?
(data here, here, here, here, and here)
Clearly, these people care not at all for the human carnage on the highways. The benefit of driving their Prius apparently justifies over 80 times the rate of death than the benefit of protecting our country and spreading freedom. If American lives are so precious to these globalists, you would think they would be 80 times more vocal in opposing the automobile. And what about construction? Evidently, they must believe that the benefit of building skyscrapers is worth a high cost in American lives, but the benefit of preventing their destruction is not.
Those who oppose the Iraq war because of the death of American soldiers are either naïve or, in an appalling display of cowardly opportunism, using what is honorable and heroic for pedestrian political gain.
It is not about soldiers to these people, it is about politics. And the leper's bell of these opportunists is the saying, "I support the troops, but I oppose the war."
In the end, however, there is a far more devastating consequence to this hypocrisy that endangers the soldiers they purport to care about. This essay - Standards of War - to follow during Christmas week.
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