CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, December 16, 2002

The Hollywood Left: the usual suspects are whining

People who actually know something about the making of foreign policy and the use of the credible threat of credible force in achieving the aims of foreign policy, have to be amused by the latest whining of the Hollywood Left. One hundred of the usual suspects who show up for anti-U.S. rallies and to raise money for leftist candidates and causes wrote to President Bush to oppose the use of military force against Saddam Hussein.

One would like to think these folks, many of whom are only known to this observer by their faces on the front pages of the supermarket tabloids for their drug, financial, marital, sexual and other problems ad nauseum, are sincere in their desire to avoid a war with Iraq. But the previous involvement of most of them in anti-U.S. causes suggests a partisan agenda. Almost to a person, they are left-wing ideologues who remain silent when the dictators of the Left murder millions (Stalin and Pol Pot come to mind) but scream bloody murder when the minions of the law try to bring some miscreant such as a Saddam Hussein before the bar of justice.

One would like to excuse the silly statements they make on the basis of their lack of higher education, in general, and their lack of experience in military and foreign affairs, in particular. If they knew the first thing about these subjects, they would be praising President Bush for the way he is using the credible threat of employing credible force to achieve the foreign policy objectives of the United States without actually using force.

Without question, President Bush and his national security team are building an international coalition that is bending the regime of Saddam Hussein to its will. Why? Because Saddam Hussein understands one thing and one thing only and that is the use of force. As this is being written overwhelming military forces are building up on all sides of the Iraqi landmass, in the nearby waters and at airbases within range of Iraq.

Each week, new allies join or endorse the U.S./U.K.-led coalition. Each week, Saddam’s military position becomes more hopeless. And, with each new force deployment, with each new positioning of increasing force, Saddam concedes positions which he, hitherto, swore he would never concede.

What the Hollywood 100 should ask themselves is: Would Saddam have readmitted the UN weapons inspectors if all President Bush had done was to ask: “Pretty please, would you let us see whether or not you have weapons of mass destruction?” Of course, not.

We are about to witness one of three outcomes, none of which will please the Hollywood Left: (1) The UN weapons inspectors will find Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction and they will be destroyed under UN supervision; or (2) Saddam will try to interfere with the work of the UN weapons inspectors thus triggering a coalition military invasion of Iraq; or (3) Saddam will use the weapons of mass destruction he claims not to have and invite horrible retaliation upon himself.

The Bush Administration prefers the first outcome because it achieves the aims of our foreign policy without the use of force. The second outcome, however, might be better in the long term even though we know there will be some loss of coalition forces. For example, Army planners know the peacetime maneuver of a division-size force will, just due to accidents, cost the lives of about three soldiers.

If Saddam caves in, we win and the Hollywood Left loses face. If Saddam forces us to use force and we win with minimal losses, the Left loses face. If Saddam uses the weapons of mass destruction he claims not to have, the Hollywood 100 are exposed as fools for wanting to believe Saddam in the first place. Instead of playing anti-Bush partisan politics, the Hollywood Left should be petitioning Saddam to accept our offer of a safe golden parachute landing in Libya.

William Hamilton, a nationally syndicated columnist and featured commentator for USA Today, is the co-author of The Grand Conspiracy by William Penn – a novel about a terrorist attack on Colorado’s high country.

©2002. William Hamilton

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com