David Gelernter on the Iraq War

And here's the link to Gelernter's piece, including:

We often hear from Democrats that President Bush's policy in Iraq makes no sense. But how can it make sense to the Barbara Boxers of Congress if they can't understand the explanation?

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Democracies rarely declare war to improve the world, as Rice could have explained had she had the chance. They fight to protect themselves, sometimes to fulfill treaty obligations. But once a war is underway, free peoples tend to think things over deeply. Casualties concentrate the mind. We refuse to let our soldiers die for too little. America at war has lifted its sights again and again from danger, self-interest and self-defense to a larger, nobler goal. Same story, war after war. Iraq fits perfectly.

Boxer, of course, would have none of it, interrupting before any explanation in depth could be given.

Rice answered that this is the way the world works. For example, we did not go into World War II to build a democratic Germany…. Here Boxer interrupted. World War II, she told Rice curtly, has nothing to do with Iraq. Boxer had lost relatives in the Holocaust. No one had to tell her about World War II.

Ah, yes. Argumentum ad frothing fit, again. As Gelernter points out, having lost relatives in the Holocaust does not qualify you as an expert on the history of WWII.

You know, after an exchange like that, I sometimes find myself wishing a person giving testimony would reply with something along the lines of:

Excuse me, when I was sworn in, I swore to tell the whole truth. I intend to do just that, even if you don't want to hear it.

Probably never happen, though. Gelernter continues:

What do we conclude when the secretary of State makes a plain statement of historical fact and a senator won't listen? That it is only natural for demagogues to attack thoughtful, polite officials who are trying hard to tell straight truths about a complicated war. The Boxers of this world ought to be met with single-minded slogans, but no doubt Rice can't see why she should stoop that low.

Americans who don't know history are the demagogue's natural prey. Boxer's statements assume that Americans at large know as little about history as she does. Let's hope it's not true.