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Oct. 24, 2004 Let us look at America's wars, starting with the most recent, through the lens of Senator John Kerry's 'Global Test' criteria, shall we? The Persian Gulf War aka 'Desert Shield/Desert Storm: In 1990, Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein and his military invaded their tiny, yet oil-rich neighbor, Kuwait. Iraq took control of the rich Kuwaiti oil fields, raped and killed the natives, and pillaged the city-state, hauling tons of treasure back to Iraq. President George H.W. Bush, father of the current U.S. president, went to the United Nations, sought and received U.N. approval to form a coalition to oust Mr. Hussein from Kuwait, and asked the U.S. Congress for authorization to commit troops, as required by the War Powers Act. Although the U.N. mandated coalition included countries from every continent on Earth, save Antarctica, how did Senator Kerry vote? He voted no, as this action obviously didn't meet his 'Global Test'. The Vietnam War: I think we can safely say that this war to defend democracy in South Vietnam and fight communism run rampant in Southeast Asia did not pass Mr. Kerry's 'Global Test' as he protested against it, both before and after his brief involvement in the conflict. Mr. Kerry, along with Miss Jane Fonda, were perhaps the most well-known agitators against the war (a strong rumor is circulating the Internet and small newspapers that Lt. (j.g.) Kerry received a dishonorable discharge from the Naval Reserves, upgraded later by fellow Democrat Jimmy Carter, hard to disprove without Kerry's signature on a Standard Form 180). http://www.nysun.com/article/3107 Mr. Kerry obviously saw no American interests at stake in Vietnam, and felt it was not worth the effort to defend. The Korean War: Like the later Persian Gulf War, a country suddenly invaded it's neighbor; an American president (in this case, Harry Truman) went to the United Nations and sought authorization to defend the aggrieved party, received it, and formed a strong coalition (with America in the forefront) and fought to expel the invader, under U.N. auspices. Just one hitch; Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union was boycotting the U.N. security council at the time, in protest of the U.S. blocking Communist China's takeover of the Chinese seat at the security council table (versus our ally, Taiwan, Republic of China). Therefore, the U.S.S.R. was not present to veto the U.N. mandate for President Truman. Doubtless, Mr. Kerry would have thought this 'underhanded' and 'unfair', and would have fought military action in Korea without the 'full' approval of the security council, which, would, of course, not been forthcoming (the U.S.S.R. and Red China were the ones who set up and armed communist North Korea, in the first place). Thus, the Korean War doesn't pass the 'Global Test'. World War II: Based on Mr. Kerry's recent statements that "Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11", it's hard to see how fighting Nazi Germany after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor could be justified under the 'Global Test'. After all, Hitler had nothing to do with December 7th, in the eyes of Mr. Kerry. Besides, FDR's embargo of U.S. steel and oil sales to Imperial Japan (due to their invasion of Manchuria)'drove the Japanese to act' and surely a diplomatic solution could have been reached, through an 'international conference' or some-such. Even Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh, leader of the American isolationists of the time, wouldn't have made such a ridiculous argument. World War I: America wasn't attacked, in any way (the Lusitania was a British vessel)by any of the combatants in this, the first truly global conflict. What was President Wilson thinking? No, WWI could not pass the 'Global Test'. The Spanish-American War: Following a horrendous explosion onboard the battleship USS Maine in the harbor of Havana, Cuba (a Spanish colony)a cry went up in the U.S. media for war. Republican President William McKinley sought a peaceful solution to the crisis, but was soon swept away by a public clamoring for 'revenge' as cries of "Remember the Maine" thundered throughout the nation. Giving in, Mr. McKinley dispatched squadrons of warships and thousands of soldiers to Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, taking those islands for the United States, with minimal loss of life (more troops died of tropical diseases than gunshots). If any conflict wouldn't pass the 'Global Test' it's this one, with many historians agreeing that America was just looking to build itself a cozy little empire, and seized a chance to do so when the Maine exploded. The Civil War: Senator Kerry would doubtless say that "the South, though wrong to hold slaves, did not invade the North" (except for some 'radical insurgents' at Ft. Sumter) and should be left alone, to do as they will. "We cannot force our style of democracy on someone else" I can hear him saying, and "what business is it of our's what these Southerners do?" No, I fear that "Mr. Lincoln's War" wouldn't pass the high standards of the 'Global Test'. The Mexican-American War: Hoping to win the Hispanic vote, I am positive that Senator Kerry would wholeheartedly dissaprove of our war with Mexico, which gained us Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Oklahoma, on the grounds that we had no justification for invading Mexico. Again, a failure to pass the 'Global Test'. The War of 1812: I'm sure our invasion of British Canada during the conflict would be seen in the most negative light by Mr. Kerry and his fellow "Internationalists", thus giving this war a failing grade in the 'Global Test'. The Revolutionary War: What right did George Washington and the Continental Congress have to split from the Mother Country, when fully one- half of the colonists (known as Tories) were against the action? What of all the investment and time Britain had spent making the American colonies into viable entities? Besides, Washington was probably AWOL in the earlier French & Indian War, so how could he call for others to give their lives, when he was a "chickenhawk' himself? No, the American Revolution, sadly, does not pass the 'Global Test'. Perhaps we should resubmit ourselves to the Crown, and apologize to Tony Blair. ------------ About the author: Fred Paxson is a recent Phd. graduate. He is a Mortgage Broker in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was an Intelligence Analyst with the US Army from 1978-83. His website is: http://www.millenniummortgagemississippi.lenderhost.com Email: sandbear1960@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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