Nay Sayers Move on to Their Next Crusade

An endless parade of original deep thinkers are constantly reminding us that a government installed by American and British armed forces will not enjoy the international community’s presumption of legitimacy. It would have been preferable if the oppressed people had tossed off the yoke of tyranny themselves and chosen their own leaders. Nevertheless, I advise against simply dismissing the governments of France and Germany, even though both were established by the United States and Britain after we liberated those countries from Nazi domination. But neither should we take any advice from them regarding post-war Iraq.
Whoever puts up history’s road signs should warn followers of American history to: “Watch for falling dictators.” For all the loathing that United States’ military might seems to elicit from this era’s back seat drivers, it will be recorded that, for most of its history, America has collected the scalps of a long list of deposed tyrants. The United States certainly has a better record than the United Nations, which recently almost satirically appointed Libya to chair its human rights commission and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq as chair of its disarmament commission.
Just added to America’s trophy shelf is Saddam Hussein. The symbols of his dictatorship bit the dust Wednesday as Iraqis climbed upon the thug’s enormous bronze statue in the ironically misnamed “Paradise Square” in central Baghdad, and battered it with their shoes. Next they pummeled the marble base with a sledgehammer. Then they tried to pull it down with a rope. The statue was more sturdily constructed than most things in Iraq and resisted their efforts.
Finally, the Iraqis invited the Marines to rip it down with a tank retriever. In quick order Saddam joined a fraternity that includes Lenin, Hitler Stalin, Idi Amin and Pol Pot, among many others. But barely had it struck the ground, and the Iraqis were dancing joyously on Saddam’s face, when those who doubted we could win the war, were hopefully doubting that we could win the peace.
Not long ago, wise and the anointed were telling us that we were in trouble. The Peter Arnett view of the world was summarized nicely in Newsweek’s “Conventional Wisdom” section last week.
Just days before the capture of Baghdad, Conventional Wisdom gave Vice President Cheney a thumbs down: "Tells Meet the Press just before war, 'We will be greeted as liberators.' An arrogant blunder for the ages."
Also earning a thumbs-down from Newsweek was President George W. Bush. "Steadfast, but his war cluelessly flings open the gates of hell, making any sort of victory Pyrrhic."
The thumb was also pointed southward for Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld: "Taking fire from TV retired generals for flawed war plan. And how did you miss the fedayeen?"
As Peter Arnett said, he was only telling Iraqi television what everybody else already knew. Newsweek’s wisdom was conventional, among the America-doubting media elite.
As grateful Iraqis gave the Marines hugs, kisses and flowers, “Shock and Awe” quickly became, “Aw Shucks.” But, now that we’ve won the war, the nay sayers are pounding away at their typewriters again. Surely the Bushies will foul up the post-war period.
“The end of Operation Iraqi Freedom should not mark the beginning of Operation Eternal War,” worries The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd.
Regarding humanitarian efforts, they’re not yet good enough for Thomas Friedman, who also writes for America’s Al-Jazeera outlet: “The Umm Qasr townsfolk scrambled after that food like pigeons jostling for bread crumbs in a park. This was a scene of humiliation, not liberation. We must do better.”
We haven’t even picked up our shell casings, and they’re condemning for screwing up the aftermath.
But as everyone knows, the Left never admits error or defeat. Iraq’s ambassador to the Arab League needs work, perhaps the Times could hire him. "Iraq will not be defeated," the Associated Press quotes Ambassador Mohsen Khalil as saying. "Iraq has now already achieved victory--apart from some technicalities."
Expect The Times, Newsweek, and the Democratic Party to point out technicalities.
And remember this: “I would never start this war if I were president.” Al Gore, April 3, 2003.
As the former Democratic Mayor of New York, Ed Koch, said of Bush recently, “I don't know anyone who would do it as well at this moment in the Democratic party."

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