The Times of London is a conservative, pro-Iraq War paper that also has informative coverage and provocative editiorials. Unfortunately, they put almost all their articles behind subscription now, including this editorial of 10/13/03: "Testing Times." (my emphasis)
<< The imperative for the coalition and the wider international community is to display resolve during an awkward period. As Mr Blair asserted yesterday, the United States and Britain must "see it through" and, as Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, pledged in an aptly defiant response to the atrocity in al-Nasiriyah, "no intimidation" can be tolerated. >>
<< The Baathists and the likes of al-Qaeda obviously have the capacity to inflict painful human losses but not to challenge those who toppled Saddam Hussein seven months ago. As the quality of life improves for Iraqis ... then it will be harder for rebels to operate. Terrorists should not be rewarded with defeatism. >>
All very macho sounding, in a restrained British Conservative kind of way. But sometimes it's worth stopping to think just what is being said and what we come to accept as standard rhetoric.
Yes, the situation is indeed "awkward" enough that some of us may be forgiven for thinking it might be a bit of a "challenge." And it's all very well to be "defiant," stiff-upper-lip and all that. And what Real Man would "tolerate" any "intimidation"? Especially not by "terrorists," who only a wimp would want to "reward" by practicing "defeatism."
But how many times since the Treaty of Paris in 1783 have the British decided that dropping their Will and Resolve in unrewarding foreign conflicts was not "defeatism" but wise imperial statesmanship? And we face "terrorists" in Iraq because we invaded the place. To deal with Saddam's "weapons of mass destruction." Which didn't exist.
So now more and more Iraqis and Western soldiers have to die so that Bush, Blair and Berlusconi can show that they are Real Men. With Will and Resolve.
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