The Exquisite Difficulty of Preemption

The Exquisite Difficulty of Preemption
By Douglas Stone

Ever hear of an obscure German Chancellor by the name of Hitler? Probably not. He ruled for three years in the 1930s until he took an aggressive step too far, marching troops into the Rhineland against treaty commitments. The Wehrmacht was promptly ejected by the French Army, and an appalled and fearful German General Staff liquidated Hitler and called for new elections.

Of course, it didn't work that way.

Herr Hitler was not removed, because the pacific French and British democracies -- knowing only that any action would result in serious bloodshed, but not the then-future of the German Chancellor -- shrank from the challenge and hoped for the best. Disaster struck, and instead of disappearing, the name Hitler is a byword for horror.

It's the perennial problem with democracies -- which naturally abhor violence and dislocation -- and just what we face in the Middle East today with Iran: If we make war to remove any but the most imminent and specific threat, opponents of the policy can argue without possible refutation that there never really was a threat and that bloodshed was therefore unnecessary.
Anticipating this response, democratic politicians especially are loath to take preemptive action. That's especially true given today's oppositional, 60s-inspired culture; 24 hour news cycle; and, Iraq's disappearing WMD.

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http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/the_exquisite_difficulty_of_pr.html

They need to talk about what happens if we fail. Let's say the Left wins and we do no more preemptives. Which Houston, L.A., Chicago, Norfolk, San Francisco, Palm Beach, Valdez, Tel Aviv, Haifa etc. are you willing to sacrifice?

All you Leftist cowards write in and tell me what Paris, London, Rio de Janerio, English Channel etc. are you willing to see go because of YOUR cowadice? Because you're too afraid to make a mistake and be well with it? Because you have no confidence? Because you have no brass?