The Problem with the Bush Doctrine

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The Problem with the Bush Doctrine
by J. Edward Tremlett

August 16, 2002

"Down On the rANT Farm"

J. Edward Tremlett Iraq? Yes, I, too, would like to throw in my two cents on that weighty matter.

When it comes to dealing with Saddam, I'm quite divided on whether Iraq poses a serious enough threat to us to justify a war. The people who say that it doesn't seem to be sadly misinformed about Saddam's capabilities and behavior patterns. However, the people who say that it does seem to be overly paranoid, peddling questionable information and holding out for an 11th-hour revelation of implicit Iraqi guilt from the President. And then there are those war-promoters who are so deep in Israel's PR pocket that it's a wonder their eyes aren't poking out of Ariel Sharon's mouth.

Normally I'd say a hell of a lot more than that. However, past the above it looks like just about everyone's beaten me to a point I might have made. Pat Buchanan's latest piece should be required reading by all, but I had to pop antacids by the handful while doing so myself. (Mental note: wear more tinfoil to avoid psychic theft)

But, in a way, the fact that everyone else beat me to the obvious is a good thing, because it forces me to talk about what really needs to be said. Iraq? Forget Iraq - Saddam is just the tip of the iceberg. The real story is the one that very few want to bring up for fear of being labeled a traitor, coward or anti-American bedwetter.

So here I am, sucker for punishment (or at least another (drive-by freeping) to say it straight up: the Bush Doctrine is craptacular gunboat diplomacy, and a recipe for national disaster.

Why? We'll be giving a legitimate force option into the hands of an office whose holders have not always presented sound judgment when it comes to foreign policy. Maybe Bush's handling of his doctrine will be well-done, but how well will it fare under the hands of, say, Cheney, Gore or Ventura? If you found yourself shaking your heads at some of the military malarkey that went on during Clinton's eight years in office, imagine what it might have been like with this feather in his cap.

The potential for abuse is ripe to the point of slopping off the vine. How do we know that someone won't invent a problem - "Wag the Dog"-style - and send us off to beat up someone just to draw attention away from a scandal, or to guarantee an upbeat reelection campaign? And how do we know that the average Joe and Jane won't eat it all up on cue, upping the ante to promote increasingly abstruse Operation after Operation until we're spread way too thin for our own good? And how many countries are we going to have to rebuild after installing some effete expatriate whose idea of "coalition government" is to call in all his favors, put himself in charge and start milking his own people for cash?

All those concerns aside, I guess what really sticks in my craw is how arrogant this all comes off. Who are we to decide that a regime needs changing? We don't live there. If we don't like Tyrant X, then we can isolate him economically until he changes his tune. And if the people who live under Tyrant X have had enough of his crap, then we can support their move towards a democracy, but the battle has to be theirs to fight. Otherwise we're just paying for another banana dictator with our blood and tax dollars, and I can think of far better uses for both than setting up someone who we'll either have to take out later, or spend an eternity apologizing for.

If someone fires at us, or we receive unquestionable intelligence that an attack is imminent, then let's do what we must to protect ourselves. If another Hitler raises his head, let's do what we must to contain him. But let's not start sending our men and women in uniform to fight others' battles for them, and let's not start seeing Hitler clones at the drop of a hat.

We are not the world police. We are not the ubermenchen. It's not our role to lead the world at gunpoint, and anyone who says otherwise has missed the point. ***

J. Edward Tremlett is a published author, political thinker and self-described "mean-spirited crank." He lives with his wife and two cats in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

"Dance with me - let's pretend Living in a satellite fantasy - wondering who's your friend." - "DJ Culture" - Pet Shop Boys

Photo of J. Edward Tremlett courtesy of staff files