"Cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war," so wrote Shakespeare when describing how leaders gin up the people to go kill or be killed. Fear is an indispensable component and so is the siren call of patriotism. But the people respond best to the rhythm of repetition. A slow, steady and at first almost muted sound building eventually into a deafening drumbeat. In short...THE DRUMS OF WAR. If you watch the news or listen to the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination you know the drums are beating loudly. "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran," is the way a jocular Sen. John McCain put it 4 years ago. Today it's no longer a joke, even the president has said he's not bluffing when it comes to not letting Iran build nuclear weapons.
Make no mistake Israel has every right to defend its future and to protect its citizens. But the problem is that not all her people agree that war is the only way. And we know what can happen when you take a country to war without its full support. Israel first has to convince a large majority that diplomacy will not work.
Here at home Americans are sick to death of war. 10 years in Afghanistan and 9 years in Iraq, a war we were lied into. More than 900 military bases around the world, 50-thousand troops in Germany, 35-thousand in Korea while we teeter on the edge of bankruptcy. Before we commit to another war: make an honest case to the people, use honest intelligence, state clearly the mission, use all resources to win and make congress vote a for declaration of war. In the meantime put away the drumsticks.
