Law, Law. Not Jaw, Jaw or War War.

Dear Editor,

Thomas Sowell demonstrates lethal pre-9-11 thinking by comparing the lead up to World War II with his belief that we will soon end up like France if we don’t “do something” to stop Iran. (Morally Paralyzed, July 26, 2007)

First, our ‘war’ against terrorism and Al Qaeda’s declared war against us is nothing like World War II on any level. There are no massed armies (except ours). No foreign invaders or occupiers (except us). No weapons of mass destruction (except ours, Russia’s, Pakistan’s, China’s, India’s and Israel’s). No mass detention of people because of their religion (except by us). No clearly defined battle fronts (except those we create). No axis of nations plotting to take over the world. All there is … is a bunch of murderous cave dwelling fanatics using the aggressive stupidity of their enemies to boost their own murderous ranks).

Sowell is following the ‘war at any price’ bandwagon that a few other Washington Times columnist have jumped onto over the last few months... all arguing for targeted strikes to stop Iran’s nuclear capacity. What about Iran’s biological capacity? In our post 9-11/Anthrax world a biological weapon like small pox is a far greater threat to our freedom, prosperity and survival than a few lose nukes.

Today’s situation is far closer to the world conditions prior to World War I that Harlan Ullman outlined so clearly in the Washington Times earlier this week in “July 1914 redux?” Any military strike on Iran would be like the assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand. It would spark and effectively fuel a real global holy war.

The lesson we failed to learn from both previous World Wars is the need to create an enforceable global system of government that is more than a talk fest. One that can effectively protect human rights and eliminates war a means of solving problems.

In reality, any form of mass murder (war, terrorism, genocide…) is a crime against humanity. Those who commit such crimes of mass murder should be effectively prosecuted and brought to justice. We need a global rule of law…not the continued global law of force. Until we transform the United Nations into a body with such enforcement capacity it will be nothing more effective than ‘jaw, jaw’ or ‘war, war’. We need law, law.

The increasing and irreversible global availability of mass murdering technology (nuclear, biological, chemical and even conventional) can not be controlled. All nations, groups and individuals will be able to obtain it. Not even the most powerful nation (the US) or the most intrusive and repressive world government created by those fearing for their lives, will be able to stop the level of mass murder that will be attained if humanity continues to chose the ‘law of force’ over the ‘rule of law’.

Only an enforceable global bill of rights can effectively replace the right of nations to do as they please in response to any perceived threat. Throughout my childhood I swore allegiance to my flag without fully understanding my words. Now I can only hope we all take that pledge and its first and last words seriously “I pledge…liberty and justice for all”. That’s what our founding fathers aspired to. We can use the powers of this great nation to achieve it… instead of sparking and fueling the next world jihad/crusade.