View Feedback | Send this Article | Published 2/07/03

Graphic By: Baudi Ratcliffe-Hollins

Now imagine you are the president of a very powerful nation. Your top advisors, your secretaries, top military officials, and many citizens provide you with warnings of a possible disaster. You decide that these are all simply rumors and decide to do nothing. Following these warnings, that disaster happens. You think, "I suppose I should have listened to my advisors and the public." Like any sensible individual would, you would learn your lesson. The next time you have reasonable suspicion to believe that your country may be in imminent danger, you take immediate action.

A new problem arises. You, being the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, decide here is your chance. You can attempt to fix your mistake, or at least prevent making another one. You decide to take action and eliminate the threat. Happy with your decision, you present it to your Congress, your citizens, and the world. Just as you begin to go public with your decision, you begin to get phone calls, letters, and e-mails telling you how much of an idiot you are and that you have made your dumbest decision yet.

The Opposition Speaks
-Bush is Saruman: 2003 -Bush Will Bring Terror Upon Us

In case you have not figured it out, I am referring to our good friend Mr. George W. Bush. And I have one question: Why is the world trying to castrate him? Since 9/11, it has become evident that Mr. Bush and his entire staff had many warnings prior to the incident. He and his staff decided that these were simply rumors and decided to overlook them. Just after 8:00 AM on September 11, 2001, his entire staff realized how catastrophic their decision, or lack thereof, was.

Now they are faced with a country that is under control of one of several ruthless rulers that rival Hitler. A country that possesses weapons of mass destruction, a country that has ignored the world's request to disarm. Resultantly, the Bush administration decides the only method in which to disarm Iraq of its weapons is to do it forcefully. So why are the public and the world ridiculing the Bush Administration for what they requested him to do over a year ago? Where is the nation that, just over a year ago, was so patriotic? Aren't the same people who are now whining about Bush's decision the same ones that said "Let's go get Bin Laden?" What happened to the people who were so energetic when Bush declared war on terrorism and claimed that terrorism will lose?

To call Mr. Bush a warmonger (no fingers pointed) is both unintelligent and quite hypocritical. We asked Bush to take action over a year ago and he did nothing. Now, he decides to act immediately and we turn our back on him. To declare that Bush is jealous of Iraq's wealth is just foolish and to simply say that Bush is oil-hungry is uneducated. Iraq is only the sixth largest provider for American oil. Venezuela, Nigeria, Canada, and Mexico all provide us with more oil than Iraq does. The U.S. itself produces more oil than any other country besides Saudi Arabia. Bush is faced with a "Catch 22." If he decides to go to war, he is labeled an idiot and bloodthirsty. If he decides to let Mr. Hussein continue his tyrannical rule, he is labeled a fool. So America, make up your mind and support your original demands. And please, quit whining and grow up.