John Tierney:

Today’s liberators in Iraq like to attribute the resistance to Islamic fascists’ fear of democracy and hatred of the West. But those fascists know that an abstract critique of Western ideology isn’t enough to attract followers. In their appeals they constantly invoke the need to expel foreigners from their soil, a battle cry that is the great common denominator of suicide bombers around the world.

Maybe, as President Bush hopes, Americans can stay long enough in the Middle East to jump-start democracy and reduce the long-term risk of terrorism. But in the meantime, they’re bound to face resistance, no matter how noble their intentions.

During the Civil War, Union soldiers were amazed to see poor Southerners without any stake in the slavery system defending it in suicidal charges. But there was a simple explanation, as a barefoot, emaciated Confederate captive famously put it when a Union soldier asked him why he kept fighting: “Because you’re here.”

Tierney hasn’t been particularly critical of the war. In fact, I believe on some levels he supports it. But he’s smart enough to know that the resistance in Iraq isn’t because “they hate us for our freedom.” It’s because no one likes to wake up, look out the window, and see armed, foreign soldiers in his backyard. No matter what the reason. Which is why the continuing occupation is winning us more enemies than friends among Iraqis, and will only get worse. It’s why it’ll ultimately prove futile. And it’s why every U.S. soldier that dies while we’re still over there represents a needless, preventable, regrettable waste of life.

Get. Out.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 2nd, 2005 at 11:54 am by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.