February 2003

The Trouble With Asking for Permission

Kids ask their parents for permission all the time: "Can Del come over for dinner?", "May I be excused?" are a couple classic requests, especially if they have one or more friends named "Del". Kids really have no choice, though. Asking for permission, in a properly run home, keeps order. Fair or unfair, the kid has to live with the parent's answer. That's life.

As an adult, you don't have to ask nobody for permission. Most of the time, you are bound by laws or convention from doing the most harmful activities. Everything else is up to you. Sure, you may have to ask your spouse for permission, but that is mostly about respect for their opinion rather than acknowledging their authority (at least, that's what I tell myself.)

Asking for permission is making President Bush work overtime. As you already know, he REALLY wants to attack Iraq. You see, they tried to kill his dad (allegedly) and they harbor terrorists (unproven) and they have dangerous weapons (we know about but no one can find.) Bush's got reasons to spare. To hear him talk, you would think that God put him on Earth to lead the United States into Iraq. But before he attacks anyone, he agreed to ask the United Nations for their approval - permission, if you will - of his actions. I just don't get it.

To appease the anti-war movement, the Administration decided to ask the UN for approval, but why? By doing so, war is next to impossible.

Since coming into office, President Bush has gone to great lengths to undermine the trust and friendship of the international community. By refusing to take part in the Kyoto agreement or the International War Crimes Tribunal, he stated clearly that the United Stated was not interested in international partnerships. By deciding to develop the pipe-dreamy Star Wars Defense System, ignoring three decades of US/Russia treaties, he stated again that the US would not let even Congressionally approved agreements stand in his way. What a guy!

Sure, we American's love NAFTA, but that is about 'free-trade.' But 'free-trade' only gets you so far. When push came to shove, the President raised steel import tariffs to protect the American steel industry. His actions stated clearly: If you don't play by our rules, we're not playing!

He could have attacked Iraq at any time. He could attack them tomorrow. But he won't. Why? Because he asked for the UN's approval - approval he will not get. It makes me wonder if he wants to fight at all.

Do you remember the Department of Homeland Security? Before the November elections, President Bush demanded a Department free of unionized employees. When the Democrats stopped the legislation, he used their action against them on election day. Then, in the weeks following the election, he agreed to a weaker Department than he originally proposed. It became evident that the Administration had used the yet-to-be-created Department as a perfect election-turning issue. The Republicans gained in the House, and won the Senate back.

What did he do? He proposed something he would never get, then after winning the public relations war (and thus, the election) he acquiesced for something still to his liking.

How does this tactic translate into the war with Iraq? I'm not so sure. When Russia, China, German, or France kill the UN War Resolution, President will be stuck with over 200,000 soldiers prepared for war in the middle east. At that point, he could give into the anti-war people and let the inspectors inspect. The US and Great Britain could declare war and remove (or kill) Saddam all by themselves.

Maybe I am paranoid, but I don't think it's too far fetched that the Administration expected opposition to their war to derail the entire process. I just can't figure out what will happen if the UN stops the war altogether. What will George look like to the American people (at least those who still vote) if he spent all this time posturing and posing (and spending tons of money) against Iraq while he let the nation's economy spiral down further? The Department of Homeland Security game worked during an election, but we are 18 months away from the next election. That makes me scared, for if the Administration is not playing a game of chicken with he international community, then it is actually dead set on going into Iraq to kill Saddam. If that is the case, then asking for the UN's permission makes even less sense. If all they want is to wage war, them why don't they wage the damn war?

This administration has proven itself to be politically savvy time and again, but if they are rushing head first into a war they know no one is going to support, then I should be more scared than I am now. Because the real problem here is that when, as a head-strong teenager, you defy your parents and start killing people, you get kicked out of the house. What good will our vaunted free trade do us when the rest of the world tires of our bullshit and stops talking to us all together?