This week, it’s the words of others – one who I am usually
not politically in tune with –  that I want to share with you
as our nation faces uncertainty, strife and fear.

Reckless Administration
May Reap
Disastrous Consequences

U.S. SENATOR ROBERT BYRD

Excerpted from Senate Floor Speech,
Feb. 12 2003

“To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences. On this February day, as this nation stands at the brink of battle, every American on some level must be contemplating the horrors of war.

“Yet, this Chamber is, for the most part, silent — ominously, dreadfully silent. There is no debate, no discussion, no attempt to lay out for the nation the pros and cons of this particular war. There is nothing.

“And this is no small conflagration we contemplate. This is no simple attempt to defand a villain. No. This coming battle, if it materializes, represents a turning point in U.S. foreign policy and possibly a turning point in the recent history of the world.

“This nation is about to embark upon the first test of a revolutionary doctrine applied in an extraordinary way at an unfortunate time. The doctrine of preemption — the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future — is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the U.N. Charter. And it is being tested at a time of world-wide terrorism, making many countries around the globe wonder if they will soon be on our — or some other nation’s — hit list.

“There are huge cracks emerging in our time-honored alliances, and U.S. intentions are suddenly subject to damaging worldwide speculation. Anti-Americanism based on mistrust, misinformation, suspicion, and alarming rhetoric from U.S. leaders is fracturing the once solid alliance against global terrorism which existed after Sept. 11.

“Here at home, people are warned of imminent terrorist attacks with little guidance as to when or where such attacks might occur. Family members are being called to active military duty, with no idea of the duration of their stay or what horrors they may face. Communities are being left with less than adequate police and fire protection. The mood of the nation is grim. The economy is stumbling. Fuel prices are rising and may soon spike higher.

“This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal.

“In foreign policy, this Administration has failed to find Osama bin Laden. In fact, just yesterday we heard from him again, marshaling his forces and urging them to kill. This Administration has split traditional alliances, possibly crippling, for all time international order-keeping entities like the United Nations and NATO. This Administration has called into question the traditional worldwide perception of the United States as well-intentioned, peacekeeper. This Administration has turned the patient art of diplomacy into threats, labeling, and name calling of the sort that reflects quite poorly on the intelligence and sensitivity of our leaders, and which will have consequences for years to come.

“Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant — these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth. Our awesome military machine will do us little good if we suffer another devastating attack on our homeland which severely damages our economy. Our military manpower is already stretched thin and we will need the augmenting support of those nations who can supply troop strength, not just sign letters cheering us on.

“The war in Afghanistan has cost us $37 billion so far, yet there is evidence that terrorism may already be starting to regain its hold in that region. We have not found bin Laden and, unless we secure the peace in Afghanistan, the dark dens of terrorism may yet again flourish in that remote and devastated land.

“Pakistan as well is at risk of destabilizing forces. This Administration has not finished the first war against terrorism and yet it is eager to embark on another conflict with perils much greater than those in Afghanistan. Is our attention span that short? Have we not learned that after winning the war one must always secure the peace?

“And yet we hear little about the aftermath of war in Iraq. In the absence of plans, speculation abroad is rife. Will we seize Iraq’s oil fields, becoming an occupying power which controls the price and supply of that nation’s oil for the foreseeable future? To whom do we propose to hand the reigns of power after Saddam Hussein?

“Will our war inflame the Muslim world resulting in devastating attacks on Israel? Will Israel retaliate with its own nuclear arsenal? Will the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian governments be toppled by radicals bolstered by Iran, which has much closer ties to terrorism than Iraq?

“Could a disruption of the world’s oil supply lead to a world-wide recession? Has our senselessly bellicose language and our callous disregard of the interests and opinions of other nations increased the global race to join the nuclear club and made proliferation an even more lucrative practice for nations which need the income?

“In only the space of two short years this reckless and arrogant Administration has initiated policies which may reap disastrous consequences for years.

“One can understand the anger and shock of any President after the savage attacks of Sept. 11. One can appreciate the frustration of having only a shadow to chase and an amorphous, fleeting enemy on which it is nearly impossible to exact retribution.

“But to turn one’s frustration and anger into the kind of extremely destabilizing and dangerous foreign policy debacle that the world is currently witnessing is inexcusable from any Administration charged with the awesome power and responsibility of guiding the destiny of the greatest superpower on the planet. Frankly many of the pronouncements made by this Administration are outrageous – there is no other word.

“Yet this chamber is hauntingly silent. On what is possibly the eve of horrific infliction of death and destruction on the population of the nation of Iraq — a population, I might add, of which over 50 percent is under age 15 — this chamber is silent. On what is possibly only days before we send thousands of our own citizens to face unimagined horrors of chemical and biological warfare — this chamber is silent. On the eve of what could possibly be a vicious terrorist attack in retaliation for our attack on Iraq, it is business as usual in the United States Senate.

“We are truly ‘sleepwalking through history.’ In my heart of hearts I pray that this great nation and its good and trusting citizens are not in for a rudest of awakenings.

“To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any President who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50 percent children is ‘in the highest moral traditions of our country.’ This war is not necessary at this time. Pressure appears to be having a good result in Iraq. Our mistake was to put ourselves in a corner so quickly. Our challenge is to now find a graceful way out of a box of our own making. Perhaps there is still a way if we allow more time.”

We Have More To Fear Than Fear Itself;
But Try Not To Let That Ruin Your Day

By HENRY STERN

Recent television and news reports have extensively described the possibility of terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. D.C.  They have featured duct tape, survival gear, escape routes, antidotes to poisons, and other means to attempt to escape the wrath of Osama bin Laden and his cohorts.

I don’t share that high degree of anxiety.  I do worry a lot, about getting cancer, my wife and children’s well being, avoiding airplane, automobile and skiing accidents, and unexpected twists and turns in mental and physical health.  I believe that “every day we live is a gift of God,” and I am thankful for the absence of misfortune.

I am probably spoiled by the tranquility we have enjoyed in America, but my psyche has not been captured by the fear of terrorism.  I would take all reasonable precautions, if I knew what they were.  I support our efforts at homeland security, but I don’t know how effective they will be.  I think most New Yorkers feel that way . . . concerned but not unduly alarmed at recent events and non-events.

Public officials and the media have stirred a great deal of anxiety and fear. Caught unaware by the events of Sept. 11, government appears to issue frequent unspecific warnings so that if anything does happen, no one can allege that it was not anticipated. The media reflect this anxiety, as well as report useful preparations for defense of our city and the national capital. But sometimes we recall the boy who cried “wolf” so often that he was ignored when the wolf did arrive to eat him and his sheep. There are surely wolves out there, but when will they visit our homes.

The color-coded danger chart now exhibited reminds me of the system long used to describe the risk of forest fires, depending on how dry the woods and how high the winds.  It also suggests the atomic clock, printed in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to describe the risk of nuclear war. On this clock, it is now seven minutes to twelve, just what it was when they began in 1947, but the minute-hand has been turned forward and backward in the intervening 56 years. The fact that atomic weapons have not been used by any country since World War II is a hopeful sign . . . it means the Bulletin is still being published.

My generation was really frightened of war just once in our lives . . . during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. I remember crowds gathering outside Grand Central Terminal, watching television in a nearby bar, trying to keep up with the standoff between President Kennedy and Soviet leader Khrushchev.  There was tangible fear at that time that the Russians would try to break our naval blockade to deliver missiles to Fidel Castro in Cuba, where launching sites, pointed at us, had been prepared for their arrival.

Our navy had been ordered to stop the missile-bearing ships, and violence and casualties were a likely result. In the post-Stalinist climate of that time, mutually assured destruction was a real possibility.  Since North Vietnam never threatened American cities, we have not had that level of anxiety in the United States for the last forty years.

My intuitive feeling – definitely not based on inside information – is that people should go about and continue their lives as normally as possible and be careful not to frighten their children. I assume there will be attacks of some kind on us, and that our country will resist and retaliate. The great majority of us are likely to survive these attacks. But if we wait until the enemy develops nuclear weapons, that majority may become a minority.

So let’s take it easy. Whatever happens will happen. Meet the challenges as they arise, day by day. England endured the German blitz for years, when London was bombed nightly by planes and later by V-1 and V-2 rockets, built by the architects of our space program. Israeli civilians have been subjected to deadly terror attacks for years.  Israel retaliates selectively, and these attacks have diminished, despite a ready supply of deluded martyrs. 

As Americans and New Yorkers we are now required by history to exhibit courage and endurance, as well as patience and fortitude. The United States will do whatever is necessary to protect us — and to terminate our enemies with extreme prejudice.

God bless America, and keep an eye on New York.

Henry Stern is founder and director of NYCivic, a good government group. He can be reached at: starquest@nycivic.org