Ever since the Bush administration started beating their war drums over Iraq I've been very uneasy about the situation. My uneasiness doesn't just come from personal values of respect for law and multilateralism, but from values of democracy.
My fear is that important decisions of war are becoming increasingly removed from the American people. When did anyone ask you if you wanted war ? A New York Times poll on Feb. 14 reported that three quarters of the Americans see war with Iraq as inevitable. Why should the people of any democracy see something as serious as war as inevitable? Because Americans no longer see themselves as having any choice.
Americans have become so removed from the realities of war it has become a reality TV show. CNN's WWF \Smackdown""-style heading, ""Showdown: Iraq"" is an example of the entertainment value of war.
I don't support reinstating a draft, but the lack of one is part of the reason for the ease with which this administration wages war. The anti-war movement would be stronger if people of military age knew they might have to fight involuntarily.
The government has also created a sense that war is not as destructive as before. Smart bombs, drones and stealth technology contribute to the myth that war no longer includes casualties for Americans or civilians.
Losing touch with what war means mutes our cries against it. This detachment means our government can manipulate the public to support a war not for goals like spreading democracy or supporting human rights but for personal interests or vendettas. It's time for the American public to wake up to the realities of war and tell our public officials that they'd better have a damned good reason if they want to start one.
