A ray of sanity

Submitted by Patrick Bramwell (Canada), May 6, 2003 at 12:14

Excellent article (carried in the National Post here in Canada today). You have crystallised the issue exactly: the left (with apologies to von Clausewitz) sees the purpose of war as the extension of social engineering by other means. The right sees it as a necessary tool of self-defence, broadly defined. (I use left and right here as arbitrary labels, not necessarily real political stances).

It is evident that "self-defence" now must contain the concept of preventative strikes. War as we knew it until the 80s is no more. Globalization of threat requires a clear and very focused notion of self-interest, and implies and justifies the need for rapid-reaction forces----a Rumsfeld-type military.

Your columns are among the few rays of sanity in Middle East commentary. Please keep them coming!

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