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Yes, some spoke out early but were quickly marginalized. I am not a blogger but sent the below letter to all my friends:
Quo Vadis, America?
Today is Sunday, the 16th of February 2003. Unless all signs are misleading, the United States is headed for an invasion of Iraq. Perhaps not within the next few days but probably within the next few weeks and most certainly this year. And the United States seems determined to do so against worldwide protests, resistance within its own population, and without a clear UN mandate. A ground swell of anti-American sentiment seems to well up in almost every country. Millions demonstrated this weekend against such a war.
Only 58 years ago, the USA were celebrated around the world as the country that defeated Nazi-Germany and Japan, 13 years ago the USA were praised for bringing about German unification and the downfall of the Soviet Empire. After WWII, most countries were looking in awe and with admiration to the United States of America. And with expectation that the USA would bring them the same kind of freedom and prosperity enjoyed by Americans. And indeed, the United States proved to be a very benign victor. The Marshall Plan restored prosperity to Europe, to include vanquished Germany. Japan was treated the same way. The USA was even held in high esteem in the Arab world.
What happened?
Many Americans, to include high-ranking politicians and influential journalists blame it on envy of our accomplishments. It isn’t that simple. I believe the reason is because to many, the United States is beginning to look and act like an empire of old. There have been many countries in the past, which were able to dominate all others around them. That dominance was always obtained by the sword and maintained by the sword as long as possible. Sooner or later, the dominance waned and the empire disappeared. To name but a few: Persia, Alexander’s Empire, Rome, China, Russia, United Kingdom, and France. Without exception, these empires were feared. None of them were loved by their neighbors or subdued countries. They all had one thing in common: They had to fight incessant wars to maintain their dominance. Even the 200 golden years of Rome, the first two centuries after Christ, called the PAX Romana, were no exception. The Romans lived in peace, but Roman legions were engaged in constant battles on the fringes of the Empire to keep the many enemies at bay.
Will this be our fate? How do those who consider America to be an Imperialistic country see us? Let me site a few examples:
1. We send punitive expeditions to almost any country that has hurt our interests or citizens. Lebanon in 1957, Grenada in the 1970s and many others. True, most if not all of these interventions were, from our standpoint, justified. Nevertheless, only a very strong country can get away with it.
2. We use subversive means to eliminate governments not to our liking. Chile is the best example. There are many others, perhaps some that we can’t even guess at.
3. Economic domination of the weak. That’s especially the case in Central and South America.
4. We either refuse to sign, ignore, or abrogate any international agreement or treaty that doesn’t give an advantage to the USA. This phenomenon is especially noticeable under the Bush administration. His reasoning for not signing the Kyoto Accord against global warming that “this accord hurts American businesses” is a classic.
5. We impose economic sanctions against any country that displeases us.
6. The United Nations, brainchild of the USA, for the first time in human history, commits all countries in the World to settle their differences through peaceful means. True, it has not always worked. But it’s the best system we have. In recent years the USA have done little to strengthen the UN.
7. Recent talk of a Preventative war scares people throughout the world. In the past, only dictatorships and Empires have fought preventative wars.
To be continued.
