This will be the first get together of the
Internet Brothers since we went to Alaska
last summer. He's flying from Colorado to the Raleigh/Durham airport. Only living here
two months, this will be my first trip to this airport. Hope I don't wind up in some
endless loop driving from terminal to terminal.
Perhaps he won't have to fly
through the remnants of Lili at she makes her way northward. I flew over an inland
tropical storm a couple years ago ... it gets pretty bumpy.
Dave will only be here for one day. Then
we're both driving to Hendersonville, NC to visit the parental units. I'll be back
on Sunday night, while he'll stay there a few more days.
Pretty soon I'll be able to drive I-40
with my eyes closed.
Like most Americans, I've been wrestling with the
notion of war with Iraq. Pre-emptive war is a new concept in United States foreign
policy. Historically, we respond when attacked. We aren't the aggressor nation.
There's no question Saddam Hussein is
a brutal, corrupt dictator. He seems to love nothing more than power. A manner of
achieving ultimate power is the ability to threaten with weapons of mass
destruction ... weapons he has demonstrated a willingness to pursue and use.
However, I'm not yet convinced the Bush
Administration has made the case that war is the only way. Conversely, neither have I
ever put much stock in United Nations muscle (they're better with humanitarian issues).
Yet, they do seem ready to get tough
with WMD inspections. I hope it isn't mere rhetoric.
That's where trust enters the equation.
Do I trust the U.S. military to take care of Saddam Hussein and make sure he never
harms anyone again? Absolutely ... emphatically. But, lots of people will die ... on
their side and ours. And what about an end game? Will we still be in Iraq 50 years
from now like we are in Korea and Japan?
So the matter then becomes, do I trust
the United Nations weapons inspectors to find everything and prevent Hussein from
terrorizing the world? This
is the man we citizens of the world must trust with our future safety. Will he be
sidetracked by Iraq's propaganda weapon of mass distraction ... or will he stay the
course?
For the time being, I am willing to
give Hans Blix the benefit of my doubt. I want to give inspections a chance to
succeed ... but as soon as Iraq starts placing conditions or barring access ... then
Saddam Hussein should see just how much I trust the United States military.
