IRAQ: A LEFT - RIGHT DEBATE?

Many of us have found ourselves, as with other matters, on both sides of the Iraq war debate. There was a time when I was just as staunch in my defense of the Iraq war as I am now in questioning it. While I identify with conservatives I do not believe that this forces me into the position of supporting the Iraq war (or any matter) without questions, concerns, or reservations.

There are many good conservatives, libertarians, Christian Reconstructionists, and Republicans who have difficulties with the current war in Iraq. In fact, if polls are any indication, I would dare say that there are many good Americans who have difficulties with the Iraq war! An entire book was dedicated to the debate and a conservative magazine was created primarily for providing a conservative voice of dissent over the Iraq war. Conservative and libertarian writers such as Gary North, Pat Buchanan, Thomas Flemming, Leon Hadar, Samuel Fancis, Lew Rockwell, Rep. Ron Paul, Paul Craig Roberts, James Bovard, Fred Reed, Doug Bandow, Srdja Trifkovic, Chilton Williamson Jr., Taki Theodoracopulos, and many others have dedicated much time and effort to writing against the Iraq War. It would be a gross mischaracterization of the debate to insist that support of the war is strictly a "left-right" debate.

Unfortunately the debate often becomes one of downright hatred for the opposing school of thought. This goes both ways. In my estimation, Paul Craig Roberts has gone from a reasonable dissenter to a rabid journalist. I have followed his articles for some time and have seen him go from sensible to downright furious. Yet, at least in my experience, this kind of treatment is far more common when coming from those who agree with the current war than it does from those conservatives who oppose it. I have witnessed pro-war conservatives derail anti-war conservatives as radical pacifists, isolationists, and accusing them of hating our country or "blaming America first." Worse yet is when they are called leftists, commies, terrorist sympathizers, and traitors. I have heard of (and have dealt with) people who have gone so far as to call anti-war conservatives traitors and tell them that they should move to Europe or Canada because of their dissent!

I felt that I should post this entry in hope of expressing my concerns, frustrations, and experiences with fellow conservatives who would use my last post as a justification to question my patriotism and my conservative convictions. It is my hope that everyone will begin taking a hard look at their stance on war (when, how, why, and towards what end war should be fought) and the role of the US in international affairs (interventionism) in order to arrive at a more reasonable position. My hope is that we will do it sooner rather than later; my fear is that we will ignore it for now and face it only when it is too late.

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