2003-03-21 - 2:29
America loves hardcore
I've had to conclude that the handling of the latest Iraq war has been sketchy. The notion of a preemptive policy strikes me as very dangerous, since it can be applied so arbitrarily.
Preemptive military action has traditionally been judged as an acceptable response against an obvious massing of military forces. When you extend that policy by stating that a reasonable justification for killing people is your fear that they might lend their resources to a terrorist cause, you have enabled yourself to feel righteous in any war.
Any state with weapons and military equipment could lend those resources to a terrorist cause. Any state conducting military research could offer the fruits of that research to a terrorist cause. Any state with a functional economy could provide financial backing to a terrorist cause.
So, ultimately, the nation with the most powerful military has now declared itself inherently justified in any future war. That strikes me as a very dangerous policy.
It also seems contradictary to me that the U.S. government is able to praise democracy as sacred, yet feels that it should circumvent the United Nations in an international dispute. Although America has the force to choose to follow such a democracy of convenience, that policy invalidates any credibility in claims that they believe in true democracy.
I had been having some conflicted thoughts on the war, while it was looming; but the whole "You and your family have 48 hours to get out of your country" deal was more than I could take with a straight face.
Okay, that's my spiel on that one. Apart from that, things here are back to the routine. Liam took off on Wednesday, the boss came back today, and I'm back in normal work mode. I'll have to make up my mind soon about whether or not I'm taking next Friday off. My plan had been to take that day off and head to Toronto to see Godspeed with Richard; but I'll have to see about scamming another day away from work so soon after the last two.
Oh hey, on another unrelated note, I just realized last night, after doing my taxes, how much the whole RRSP dealie really does pay off. Since 2001 was such an odd filing (because of changing jobs), this was my first straightforward tax return; and the refund is looking very sweet. That's a bonus now, since the bank account is looking slim. (Property tax is no fun.)
J.