War Against Evil

James Carroll, 8 July 2003, Boston Globe

Having forthrightly set out to rid the world of evil, first in Afghanistan, then in Iraq, has the United States, willy-nilly, become an instrument of evil? Lying (weapons of mass deception). Torture (if only by US surrogates). The killing of children ("collaterally," but inevitably). The vulgarization of patriotism (last week's orgy of bunting). The imposition of chaos (and calling it freedom). The destruction of alliances ("First Iraq, then France"). The invitation to other nations to behave in like fashion (Goodbye, Chechnya). The inexorable escalation ("Bring 'em on!"). The made-in-Washington pantheon of mythologized enemies (first Osama, now Saddam). The transmutation of ordinary young Americans (into dead heroes). How does all of this, or any of it, "rid the world of evil"?

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