Sanctions by the United Nations didn't stop Saddam, and defeat in the first Persian Gulf War didn't stop him.  In fact, he used the UN-imposed sanctions to kill more of his own people, keeping the oil-for-food money for himself and the inner circle of his regime, al- lowing millions of Iraqis to starve, blaming the widespread suffernig and starvation on the sanctions, and thereby gaining sympathy from the French. 

When his regime was toasted by a few JDAMs, by and large, the people of Iraq rejoiced, and the Iraqi army threw down their guns and went home rather than fight.  In fact, it ap- pears that the terrorists haunting our troops in Iraq now are not Iraqis, but are foreign Arabs imported into Iraq because the Iraqi people are glad America came in and freed them.  All of this is to the chagrin of the vile American Left.

Nancy Pelosi is a member of Congress.  She is a Democrat and the Democratic Party's floor leader in the House of Representatives.  However, Nancy hates the Bush admin- istration and the Republicans so much that she, like the rest of the far Left, refuses to acknowledge the reality on the ground in Iraq and, instead. chooses to use one liners and sound bites to make false statements about America's war against Saddam and his ty- rannical political regime. 

After the finest military campaign in memory, with an astonishing low number of casu- alties (American military and Iraqi civilian), with American troops being greeted by the Iraqi people as liberators and with the end of one of the most brutal political regimes in history, Nancy Pelosi said: "I have absolutely no regret about my vote on this war.... The cost in human lives. The cost to our budget, probably $100 billion. We could have prob- ably brought down that statue for a lot less. The cost to our economy. But the most im- portant question at this time, now that we're toward the end of it, is what is the cost to the war on terrorism?" 

No terrorist attacks against the American homeland have occurred because of the lib- eration of Iraq.  During the liberation, some of the most massive attacks by American forces against terrorist bases in Afghanistan occurred.  Yet, the shameful excuse for an American leader, Nancy Pelosi, would rather the liberation of Iraq not have occurred, as she had wished in the first place.  What do we call people who are proven wrong, but re- fuse to accept that reality?  The "politically correct" answer is "Democrats."

What happened to the Democratic Party?  To be sure, there are some notable excep- tions, such as Evan Baye and Joseph Lieberman.  However, as a whole and definitely in their leadership, the Democrats appear to hate the Republicans more than they love America.  They seem more willing to place America and all of us in harm's way than give the Bush administration credit for a job well done or allow America to proceed in its pursuit of its best interests.  This appears to be the Democrats' attitude and very strong inclination, as long as a Republican holds the Office of President and is leading the country.

Now that President Bush is in the White House, American sovereignty is no longer viewed by Democrats as a plus.  Whether it is Democratic Party members in the House or those in the Senate, all are clamoring for United Nations approval before they feel America's foreign policy, pursuit of America's self-interest, and moves towards maintain- ing and enhancing America's national security are legitimate governmental activities.  The Democrats want to subordinate America's decisionmakers to the members of the UN Security Council.  To the Democrats, America is no longer a sovereign nation.  Rather, America is just another member of the United Nations.  If France says non, the Demo- crats scramble to find a way to appease their new masters.

Nancy Pelosi is merely the voice of what appears to be a new political ideology.  Well, the political ideology is old.  What is new is the willingness of the Democrats to shed their pretense of national patriotism and come out full hog in favor of an America that is no longer a superpower, no longer the champion of liberty and freedom, but simply a member of a club with others telling us what is best for us, others who are not American, others who have their own agenda and and their own ideas of what is good for all of us.

Nancy Pelosi is merely one example of the sorry mess into which the Democratic Party has fallen.  There are many other examples.

There is Tom Harkin, Democratic Senator from the state of Iowa.  He said that it wasn't the American military forces on the ground or the war planners that were responsible for the U.S. military victory in Iraq.  Rather, it was Iraq's inability to fight that caused its downfall.  In other words, the Republicans lied to all of us about the threat of Iraq, the American military isn't that good, and what happened to the Kuwaitis in 1991 must have been a fluke.  For Senator Harkin, victory resulted not from America being strong (which it is not); but from the fact that Iraq is a paper tiger.  America is weak, but Iraq is much weaker.  Harkin said: "So if they [the Iraqi military] were that weak, where we could just roll over them like that, tell me again how he [Saddam Hussein] was such a big threat in the past?"  Harkin added: "It looks now like this was just a Third World country.... there were people fighting with tennis shoes on, on the Iraqi side. I don't know what else we're going to find, but they didn't fly even one airplane in the air. They had almost nothing."

Senator Harkin, like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats, cannot allow America to be seen as a superpower, and they cannot allow Americans to feel patriot- ism.  For the Democratic Party, nationalism, or national patriotism, is an emotion that needs to be overcome.  Having U.S. Senators and other American political leaders downplaying American achievements, belittling our military during a time of war when our brave warriors are fighting and dying on the battlefield, is beyond shameful.

There will be ups and downs in the war in Iraq.  There will be ups and downs in the war on terror.  No doubt, there will be tragedies and events that will be horrific.  However, America must prosecute both wars to successful conclusions, defeating our enemies and eliminating the forces and circumstances which made our resort to war necessary.

America is not at war because, as the political Left would like all of us to believe, we are a violent, imperialistic nation. Rather, we are at war because there there are violent and aggresstive political regimes and violent and murderous terrorist movements that jeop- ardize world peace and our national security, and thereby make it necessary for the U.S.A. to resort to armed force in order to defend itself and its vital interests. If we Americans are to preserve our liberty, independence and national sovereignty, we must, as a nation, be ready and willing to go to war in defense of those values. If you want peace, security and freedom, prepare for war and have the will to wage war.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, "There can be no fifty-fifty Americanism in this country.  There is room here for only one hundred per cent Americanism."  He also said: "Prep- aration for war is the surest guarantee for peace." In addition, he said: "Speak softly and carry a big stick...."

America goes to war when we are attacked and when it is the right thing to do to end threats to our nation and people.  America goes to war to stop tyrants and despots from enslaving people and threatening international peace.  America goes to war to spread as well as defend freedom and constitutional democracy.

Now, even the noble cause of spreading freedom and constitutional democracy in the world is viewed by the Democrats as an "imposition."  Imagine an ideology that views human beings who are given freedom as being "imposed" upon. 

That is what the political ideology of the Democratic Party has become.  Many Demo- cratic Presidents of the past must be turning in their graves.

Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and post-graduate study in behavioral and analytical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. He has been the featured guest on KTSA News Talk Radio.  CONTACT INFORMATION:  Email:   paul.walfield@cox.net

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