Issues From the Left – Answers That Work

While attending several anti-Bush/anti-War demonstrations recently, I have managed to get a fairly decent grip on the arguments, fallacious though they may be, of the Left. I call this “opposition research.” Many of their arguments are conspiracy theories of various kinds (i.e. an oil pipelines in Afghanistan) and are not worthy of a response. However, the following represents the most reasoned issues raised and the answers I have provided. In all cases in which one of the demonstrators has agreed to discuss their issues, the conversations ended in their promise to research the issue further and get back to me. To date, no one has. Hopefully this helps all right-thinking people to better respond to Leftist allegations.

The US has supported tyrants and dictators

In short this is true. Unfortunately it is also an abysmal oversimplification of US foreign policy.

It is first necessary to understand something about US foreign policy. Our foreign policy has three objectives: (1) ensure the safety, security and tranquility of US citizens, (2) ensure the safety and security of US allies and (3) ensure the safety and security of US strategic partners. The first should be fairly easy to understand yet it is the second two that cause some people a fair amount of confusion. There is a huge difference between “ally” and “strategic partner.” These words cannot be used interchangeably however many people do so or simply refer to all foreign partners of the US as “allies.” Sometimes this may be nothing more than an innocent mistake but more often than not it is a deliberate attempt to obfuscate and create prejudice.

A nation described as an “ally” is a nation that, first and foremost, shares values similar to those of the US. Allies are typically religiously pluralistic though predominantly Christian, they have democratically elected governments, the government is accountable to the same laws as the people, they have an open or at least relaxed trade policy with the US and they are not allies of nations known to be hostile to US national and/or strategic interests. A clear sign that a nation is an “ally” is their ability to openly purchase from and sell to the US, advanced weapons systems and technology including dual-use technology.

A nation described as a “strategic partner” is in many ways the polar opposite of an “ally” in that they have cultural and social values that are inconsistent with those of the US and/or repugnant to most Americans. These countries are typically hostile to the idea of religious freedom in that they either practice a State religion such as Islam or they are atheistic, the government is run by a dictator, a monarch or an oligarchy that is not accountable to the governed and even when elections are held such elections are nothing more than window-dressing intended to solidify the power of existing ruler(s), they have very restrictive trade policies with the US, they are usually allies of nations known to be enemies of the US or at least hostile to US foreign and domestic interests and at times may even be hostile towards other US allies and partners. One indication that a nation is a strategic partner as opposed to an ally is that their ability to purchase US weapons systems require strict congressional approval, they are generally prohibited from purchasing weapons from the US nor may they purchase US-made weapons from our allies, the types of weapons available to them is severely limited (usually limited to non-weapons platforms such as troop transport vehicles) and they are subjected to a greater degree of scrutiny with respect to the purchase of dual-use technology.

“Dual-use” technology is at times difficult to classify. Cyanide, which is a chemical known to be lethal even in small doses, is not considered a chemical weapon for it is commonly used in industrial applications. Note the CDC description: “In manufacturing, cyanide is used to make paper, textiles, and plastics. It is present in the chemicals used to develop photographs. Cyanide salts are used in metallurgy for electroplating, metal cleaning, and removing gold from its ore. Cyanide gas is used to exterminate pests and vermin in ships and buildings.” On the other hand, it can also be converted into a chemical weapon with a fair amount of ease. Yet the same can be said of the common household chemical Chloride. Chloride was first used as a chemical weapon by Germany in WWI. Additionally, technology that most people would not readily associate with weapons systems can be converted to military uses (i.e. GPS Technology).

The obvious question then is: Why would the US involve itself with a country fitting the description of “strategic partner”? The answer is not as easy, nor as comfortable as most people would like.

During the Cold War the US had many strategic partners who, but for the Cold War, might have been considered enemies of the US including, but not limited to, Chile under the rule of Pinoche, South Africa during the Apartheid years, Communist China, Iran prior to the Islamic Revolution and Iraq from about 1985 to 1990. The only thing these nations had in common with the US was their opposition to known enemies of the US such as the USSR or in the case of Iraq, Iran. While our allies remain so year after year even when we have major disagreements, our relationship with strategic partners wax and wane with changes in US economic interests and national security concerns. Who could deny that the US’ warm relationship with Pakistan is directly related to our national security interests in neighboring Afghanistan? This despite the fact that Pakistan is an enemy of India a known US ally.

The US put Saddam Hussein in power

In 1963 a fractionalized Baath Party rose to power in Iraq. The Baath Party, which is an Islamic Socialist Party gained surprisingly wide-ranging support in the Arab world during the mid to late 20^th Century. Baathism is largely secular like all socialist movements yet respectful and accommodating of Arabic cultural traditions particularly Islam. It became very popular in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iran however the only countries wherein Baath parties gained power were Iraq and Syria. Syria remains a Baathist state to this day. Similar to nearly all socialist movements that rise to power in the wake of revolution, the original Baath Party in Iraq was actually a coalition of divergent socialist groups: Arab Nationalists, Fascists, Communists and anti-Communist Socialists (Fabians, Solidarists, Trotskyists, etc.). While they were all socialists the only thing that truly united them was their opposition to British control and influence in the region. By 1968 the more radical elements of the Baath Party were in control thereof and as a result, in control of Iraq as a whole. They eliminated all non-conformist and dissident groups from their ranks. Saddam Hussein gradually worked his way up the ranks of the party and in 1978 became the leader of the Iraqi Baath Party. Hussein removed (via execution) all opposition members as well as those who were suspected of being such. During this time, the US had no formal diplomatic relationship with Iraq and because of Iraq’s close relationship with the Soviet Union and its overt hostility towards Israel the US had no interest in establishing such a relationship. US interest in Iraq was limited to Iraq’s membership in OPEC.

Saddam Hussein was a US ally

Hussein, shortly after gaining power in Iraq, began making territorial claims on Iran. There are many reasons for this though this history is not germane to our discussion here. When the Iran-Iraq War started it concerned the US for three reasons: (1) Iraq’s proven oil reserves amounted to nearly 15% of the world’s total oil supply, (2) Iraq was not an ally nor partner of the US and (3) Iran was a declared enemy of the US. This situation placed the US in a precarious foreign policy situation. The US took a similar though much more cautious position in the Iran-Iraq War. The initial policy was to remain neutral in hopes that they would simply reach a stalemate and retreat to their respective borders. Unfortunately the tide turned in Iran’s favour and the US was forced to reconsider its position.

Historically, in the 1930’s the US had no love for the Soviet Union nor Germany yet chose to support the Soviets in their war with Germany since Germany, at the time, represented the greater threat to US interests in the region. The decision was to establish limited diplomatic relations with Hussein, offer to assist him in the war with Iran short of direct military aid and hopefully encourage him to modify his positions towards Israel and the US. The two biggest obstacles were the facts that Iraq was on the US List of Terrorists Sponsoring Nations and that Iraq had already used chemical weapons against the Iranians. The US and envoy (current Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld) to Iraq to meet with Hussein and present the US offer of assistance in exchange for various concessions on his part. Any US assistance would be limited to troop transport vehicles and other non-weapons platforms and information on Iranian troop positions, movement and defense installations. Hussein agreed and the administration moved successfully to have Iraq removed from the US List of Terrorist Sponsoring Nations. For the record this is may be the reason that Syria and Lybia took over as the main supporters of terrorist organizations in the region. These organizations no longer had the oil-rich Iraq as a means of financial support and combat training. To be sure, Iraq still continued to provide support to certain organizations but direct training and financial support were severely curtailed. This was not out of a new affinity for the US. Rather, Hussein clearly understood that without the assistance being offered by the US, his war with Iran was all but lost. It should also be stressed here that the US position with respect to Iraq was, in appearance at least, in direct contravention of its official Cold War policy in that Iraq was an ally, even if loosely, of the Soviet Union and therefore considered hostile to, if not an enemy of, the US.

The War did not end as Hussein would have preferred and he immediately set his sights on Kuwait. This ended the almost 5-year relationship between the US and Iraq.

The US created Osama Bin Laden/Osama Bin Laden was a US ally

Osama bin Laden was one of many “jihadist” who flocked to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets as part of the Mujihadeen. He used his wealth to setup “religious” schools also known as Madrasas, to “help the people of Afghanistan.” These Madrasas were actually military training academies and they were as opposed to the US as they were the Soviets. Although there is no evidence of collaboration between US-backed fighters and bin Laden/Pakistan-backed groups, the later were not going to attack the US when the US was in effect, fighting on their side in the battle. This did not make bin Laden nor any of the other “jihadists” US allies.

The US put the Taliban in power

Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the US took its standard Cold War position: support the enemy of the Soviets even if their interests are unlike our own. The resistance fighters in Afghanistan included Afghans and a host of “jihadists” who flocked to the country in an attempt to repel the invading Soviet army. These groups did not share the same interests and were only united in their opposition to the Soviet Union. When the US began providing military aid and training to the more moderate elements among them, even the extremists were willing to set aside their anger towards the US if it meant defeat of the “Greater Satan” in the form of the Soviet Union. When the Soviets pulled out in defeat the country fell into civil war with the once loosely united groups now fighting for power in the country. A group known as the Taliban which sprang up out of Pakistani and bin Laden supported Madrasas became the only group with the ability to bring order in the chaotic aftermath of war. The biggest problem was their hostility towards the US. The US preferred that one of the groups associated with the Northern Alliance ascend to power but their own fractionalization and limited numbers made this unlikely if not impossible. Neither the US nor any other Western nation ever established formal relations with the Taliban. The only country to officially recognize the Taliban as the “government” in Afghanistan was Pakistan.

George Bush said that Iraq was an “imminent threat” to the US

If one were to review every official statement of the Bush Administration prior to the invasion of Iraq, you would not find a single reference to Iraq as an “imminent threat.” By “official statement” here I mean statements reflecting the policy of the administration rather than the mere opinions of individuals associated therewith. What George Bush said repeatedly is that Iraq represented a growing and gathering threat and that the US could not afford to wait until that threat became imminent.

George Bush declared that the war was over yet American casualties continue

George Bush never declared an end to the war, rather he declared an end to major combat operations and concurrently success in accomplishing their mission of overthrowing the Baathist regime in Iraq. Additionally he cautioned that the road ahead would be difficult.

The US sent the military into battle without sufficient protective equipment (body/vehicle armor)

It is interesting to note that those who have complained about the lack of protective gear for combat forces also opposed the $87 billion appropriations bill requested by the administration.

The way this argument is presented suggests that the US sent soldiers into battle wearing Bermuda Shorts, Hawaiian Shirts, Baseball Caps and Mukluks. This claim largely stems from the fact that as of the beginning of combat operations in Iraq, a new (emphasis on ‘new’) type of helmet and body armor was coming into production and being rushed to front-line troops. All troops in combat zones wear protective gear including, but not limited to, Kevlar helmets and Kevlar body armor which was introduced in the 1980’s. The only problem with Kevlar is that it is heavy, bulky, constricting and while it offers protection against some projectiles and small arms fire, it is largely ineffective in many battlefield conditions. In effect the benefits of Kevlar are more psychological than physical. In 2003, Natick began shipping a new helmet and Interceptor body armor under DOD contract. The new helmet weighs less and has the ability to stop a 9mm round at close range and provides greater protection against large-calibre rounds. The new Interceptor body armor can actually stop an AK-47 round as close as 50 yards and weighs 4 pounds less than the Kevlar vests. No combat useful helmet or body armor is fully effective against all projectiles especially at close range. The first troops to be provided with the new protective gear were troops stationed in Afghanistan and US Special Forces and front-line forces in Iraq. By November 2003 more than 75% of all combat troops had been outfitted with the new protective gear.

The DOD is constantly searching for new technology to improve the safety of US combat forces and minimize collateral damage in war. No technology will ever eliminate these dangers but it cannot be denied that we have come quite a long way from the days when we would sacrifice hundreds of infantrymen whose only real protective gear was a helmet, to take out a single enemy position or destroy an entire village or town as in Dresden, Germany, to take out a single target. All US forces are equipped with the best and most advanced equipment available at the time however, as the saying goes “necessity is the mother of invention.” Combat in Iraq has forced the DOD to order the retrofitting of all troop transport vehicles with additional armor. Additionally, helicopters, which normally fly at low altitudes so as to minimize the ability of an enemy to target them, are, now that threats from radar-guided and heat-seeking munitions have been eliminated, flying at higher altitudes to minimize exposure to small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. You can be assured that combat in Iraq is influencing the research and development of new military equipment at this very moment.

There was no WMD in Iraq

While it is true that pre-war intelligence was grossly inaccurate, there is no argument that Iraq had WMD for he had actually used them against both the Iranians and the Kurds. Additionally, everyone involved agreed that his final declaration regarding WMD in January 2003, was sorrowfully insufficient. He never accounted for the WMD we knew existed and although he stated that the remainder had been destroyed, he never specified how or when. Since the end of major combat operations, coalition forces have discovered sporadic quantities of Serin and Mustard Gas and in June 2004 the US relocated nearly 1.8 tons of enriched Uranium (weapons-grade) form Iraq to an undisclosed location in the US for safekeeping.

It was Iraq’s responsibility to declare all WMD and assure the UN of their location and/or total destruction. The burden of proof was on Iraq, not the US or the UN. We knew what he had and even if we add what the UN destroyed with whatever Iraq claims to have destroyed we still come up short. The greater concern is not that the weapons have not been found in Iraq, rather, that they have not been found. Keep in mind that our failure to find Osama bin Laden to date is not evidence of the fact that he is a figment of our imagination.

On the diplomatic front, I tend to agree. As long as our strategy is to improve relations with India, and keep Pakistan as an ally, it certainly is good. Of course, the big worry is that Musharraf will be assassinated and the Islamo-terrorists take over.

I am not yet convinced of the soundness of our economic approach to South Asia. We are in a radically bad trade situation with India. I believe their enormous profits are the reason that the Indians are engaging with us rather than any sudden finding of common values. Our trade deficit with India is spiralling out of control; it was $8 billion last year, and if it continues at the pace it has gone through the first five months of the year, it will reach $10 billion this year, a 25% increase. While that doesn't equal even one month of China's recent mammoth trade surpluses with us -- at the rate that it is ballooning, we will be more than $130 billion in the red with the red monster -- we just don't need another $10 billion (and growing) deficit on top of that.

Yes, by playing economic patsy for India and having IndiaPac purchase our congress wholesale, we can make them feel pretty daggone good about themselves, but I cannot rate it as an intelligent on our part.

If we just sent them a check for $5 billion each year, it would cost us far less -- and we would have more of a taxbase of taxpayers working at jobs that instead have been outsourced to India. And I personally would just as soon as have all of our accounting work done by U.S. CPAs rather than all of our personal tax information headed off to the subcontinent; all of our bank and securities work done by folks in the U.S.; and all of our medical records just as soon kept here. But economically, it does make a lot more sense for any one company to minimize its expenses and maximize its profits; it's just that when we ship those dollars overseas, they don't come back just as quickly; they instead turn into a huge debt which we have to service into perpetuity. And if we start to inflate the currency, interest rates will follow, making that servicing even more onerous.

1. US-Indian relations were progressing smoothly until the left-wing Congress pulled off one of the biggest upsets in global electoral history. There was a chance that the BJP would eventually send troops to Iraq as well.

2. A trade deficit with India is not necessarily a bad thing either. With China it's more of an issue because their currency is pegged to the dollar, meaning that currency fluctuation will NEVER lessen the trade balance with China. With India, on the other hand, as they grow, the trade deficit will go down. When a nation receives foreign investment (not necessarily FDI) or foreigners buy their currency, the overall value of their currency will go up. As more and more investors pour investment dollars into India, this will happen. In China, the world's largest recipient of FDI, this doesn't happen. In fact, it's making it's banks highly unstable with a currency that may be undervalued by 40%!

When China's economy crashes (the PRC is trying to prepare for a "soft landing" as we speak), a lot of that money will shift over to India where it should be going in the first place. India is a free society (although highly protectionist) with high literacy and education rates and where most politicians and business leaders speak "fluent" english.

I dunno, I'd guess the most likely thing was that most all of the people mentioned in the blue quotes just decided they'd had enough of being in government, shoveling uphill all the time against the bureaucratic tide. What beats working in government? Working in The Private Sector. Natural choice.

Actually, if you get a response to this, I'd be interested in getting some hard data and numbers on just how well the reconstruction has been going. How many power plants have been restored to full service? How many barrels a day are flowing? What's the improvement in the balance of trade? How many other basic utilities, like the water supply, have been updated? Before anybody starts throwing around spurious accusations about war profiteering, or who may have benefited from what few pennies on the dollar of which contract, let's establish what the baseline is. For all the money spent on reconstruction so far, what have been the payoffs? The tangible benefits to the Iraqi people, neighboring economies, and the world community?

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