Were we courageous and moral people of high character, we would fight them here so we wouldn't have to fight them "over there".
Much has been made of the lack of depth and understanding regarding Sarah Palin's answers to questions about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have yet to encounter any comment about the absence of morality.
QUESTION: Do you think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and our continued presence there is inflaming islamic extremists?
PALIN: I think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to further security of our nation, again, because the mission is to take the fight over there. Do not let them come over here and attempt again what they accomplished here, and that was some destruction. terrible destruction on that day. but since September 11, Americans uniting and rebuilding and committing to never letting that happen again.
I've read or heard the "fight them over there" justification one too many times.
Setting aside the fact that no significant threat existed in Iraq prior to our invasion, and setting aside the fact that the terrorists presently in Iraq exist in response to our military operations there, not the other way around – even assuming away those facts, our occupation in Iraq would still not be morally justified.
In other words, even if we could demonstrate that our presence in Iraq may have prevented one or more terrorist attacks in the United States (which, of course, we can't), it would still be morally wrong for us to be there.
This is what fighting them "over there" looks like (not for the squeamish).
Sarah Palin and others "think" the above microcosm of the carnage is leading to "further security of our nation". Yay us! Let's stay on offense. After all, it's kept us safe.
If we are going to be honest with ourselves, we must acknowledge that the reason we think fighting them "over there" is justified, is because in our petty, immoral, racist, fearful, arrogant minds, life is cheap "over there". Better a million casualties over there if it makes us feel safer at home. Better five million refugees over there if we can make some flimsy argument that our security is somehow improved over here. It's all about us. American life is special. American life has extraordinary value. Over there, not so much.
Pope John Paul II defined the Iraq war as a "defeat for humanity", and characterized the preemptive action as neither morally nor legally justified.
I defy anyone to look at those pictures and explain how the Iraq war isn't a "defeat for humanity". There's our victory for you. We've defeated humanity. We can now come home victorious and with honor.
The Pope was right. George Bush, John McCain and the neocons (including their newest darling member, Governor Palin), were, and remain, morally wrong.
I find it distressing that it appears a majority of Americans are completely oblivious to the inherently, and demonstrably (see images above), immoral nature of the Iraq war.
When Americans hear "fight them over there...", too few notice an intellectual deficiency, fewer still recognize a moral one.