Stay prepared, stay wary and stay out

I see a headline blaring that a majority of this state’s voters favor an attack on Iraq. Apparently they believe the administration’s claim that Saddam Hussein “will use” his weapons of mass destruction unless we stage a pre-emptive strike.

Once again, I find myself in the minority.

If there is one thing we know about Saddam Hussein, it is that he is a survivor. He is no religious fanatic; he is not suicidal. He wants above everything else to live, and stay in power. And he is not stupid; he knows for a certainty that if he attacks, he will be removed from power and probably killed.

The one sure way to make Saddam Hussein use his terrible weapons is to attack him – then he’ll use them in self-defense.

Since Dick Cheney, who I think really runs this government, is also not stupid, I have to assume he knows this. Therefore I must further assume he has some other reason for pushing for an attack on Iraq – some reason he’s not telling us – such as helping George Bush win the next election.

What’s good for us, and for the world, is to stay prepared, stay wary, and stay out of Iraq. Saddam Hussein will die quietly in bed, someday, with his nukes unused – if we let him.

sEverett

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