Friedman for President
When journalists are more statesmanlike than your politicians, you know there's something wrong. Thomas Friedman, in his latest NYT column, makes the case for war that the administration has failed to offer. Sure, it's different being in government: you can't, for instance, say that the ultimate target of the war is Saudi Arabia when you rely on their help for phase one. But the Bush administration should show a modicum of respect for public opinion, at home and abroad: treat people like adults, and explain the real thinking behind this conflict. Tenuous links between Saddam and Osama: they just don't cut it.
Tell people the truth. Saddam does not threaten us today. He can be deterred. Taking him out is a war of choice -- but it's a legitimate choice. It's because he is undermining the U.N., it's because if left alone he will seek weapons that will threaten all his neighbors, it's because you believe the people of Iraq deserve to be liberated from his tyranny, and it's because you intend to help Iraqis create a progressive state that could stimulate reform in the Arab/Muslim world, so that this region won't keep churning out angry young people who are attracted to radical Islam and are the real weapons of mass destruction. Tell the Truth
