A message from Doug Bandow: With the War Party on the Rampage, We Need Antiwar.Com

A message from Doug Bandow

With the War Party on the Rampage,
We, All of Us, Need Antiwar.Com

Benjamin Franklin said that the two things we can be certain of are death and taxes. Unfortunately, in the United States today, theres a third thing: every day some analyst, journalist, lobbyist, think tank, legislator, or other influential policymaker in Washington is urging the US to go to war. And with little concern for morality or practical consequences.

Despite the hundreds of deaths that the Iraq war caused, and despite the fact that it created the Islamic State and empowered Iran, no one of note who concocted or implemented the Iraq disaster was held responsible for his or her actions. Instead, they were routinely rewarded and promoted and many are still actively planning new wars for Americans to fight.

For instance, despite its promises to end the Yemen war, the Biden administration is escalating US involvement in Yemen, deploying ships and planes to actively fight on behalf of the Saudis and Emiratis. After seven years of murderous attacks on Yemen civilians, Washington finally feels outrage at the war. The insurgent Houthis have had the effrontery to fire back so Washington is going to protect the forces responsible for the bulk of the conflicts murder, mayhem, starvation, and disease.

Iran long has been a target of war-happy neocons, for whom the nuclear issue was but a welcome excuse. John Bolton, National Security Adviser for President Donald Trump, spent years campaigning for war. Although optimistic reports about the nuclear negotiations with Iran suggest that a revived deal is close, more than a few enthusiastic saboteurs are lurking nearby Israel, Republican legislators, Saudi Arabia. Even the Biden administration issued a veiled threat of military action if a deal was not concluded. If the GOP takes the White House in 2024, confrontation is likely to return as the order of the day, with war a distinct possibility.

North Korea long has drawn fans of preventive war. Bolton still thinks it would be a good idea. More alarmingly, President Bill Clinton came close to attacking the North. So, apparently, did Trump. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a frenetic advocate of every war fought, proposed, or imagined, approvingly quoted the president as figuring that nuclear war would be no big deal: people would "die over there" rather than "here." What are a few hundred thousand or million dead among friends?

Last fall there was an upsurge in debate within the foreign policy establishment over the US making clear its commitment to Taiwans defense against China. That means maintaining a military strong enough to impose its will nearly 8,000 miles from home. And being prepared for a serious war with a nuclear power over an issue that matters more to Beijing than to us. That war would look much more like the Korean War or World War II than like Afghanistan or Iraq.

Then there is Ukraine. The usual hawks reassuringly insist that no one in Washington favors going to war with Russia for Ukraine. I mean, who could be that crazy?! But Biden has been repeatedly criticized for having taken US military action "off the table." And Sen. Roger Wicker wants the Biden administration to fight Russia over Ukraine, give Vladimir Putin "a bloody nose," "rain destruction upon Russian military capability," and not "rule out first use nuclear action." First use of nuclear weapons. That would result in a nuclear war that wouldnt just kill people "over there.

In this world we need to be informed. Who provides comprehensive foreign policy coverage? What websites cover more than the conventional wisdom promoted by the Blob, as the Washington foreign establishment has been called? Where do commentators opposed to not just wars but also rumors of wars appear?

Antiwar.com, of course.

As a policy nerd and writer I am desperate for information. In the first instance I need articles. But I also seek continuing news sources. The folks who work at Antiwar.com a labor of love by people who sacrifice to work for an organization that runs on a shoestring provide both.

What makes Antiwar.com particularly impressive is that its a reliable news source even for those who dont agree with its message. Journalists, researchers, opinion leaders, and Pentagon officials rely on the website. They realize that the Antiwar.com family is made up of ideologues for peace. However, these readers also know Antiwar.com remains dedicated to delivering accurate information and honest opinion.

The Website does so first through its news coverage. If something is happening in the world, Antiwar.com will provide a link. If war is threatening, Antiwar.com will fill a section. Day after day. There also are viewpoints, opinion commentary on the issues. From these contributors you learn whats really going on, who is behind seemingly inexplicable policies, and why time and again Washington takes the American people into unnecessary and disastrous wars. Naturally, the DC Blob and the bipartisan war party prefer to keep this information from you.

Antiwar.coms staff also maintains a blog. Through it they cover and summarize articles and videos. Armchair news hounds can follow the links and get the full treatment, leading to new facts and sources. It is a particularly useful tool for policymakers, as well as people who care about both their nation and world.

Antiwar.com also offers regular columnists, like me, and occasional contributors. We fill the political spectrum and come from very different backgrounds. We are of different nationalities. Some have been in politics. Others served in the military. I am one of the policy geeks. There are activists, economists, and academics. We all share a commitment to peace. A belief in truth. And a determination to hold the US government accountable for its actions and crimes.

However, none of this is possible without the support of readers like you. There is no one else on whom Antiwar.com can rely. After all, it doesnt receive any US government grants. Or establishment foundation money. There are no congressional earmarks for the peacemakers. Arms makers certainly dont contribute to Antiwar.com. Neither do foreign governments. Even the most woke corporations dont write checks to Antiwar.com. Nor do think tanks, which play such an important role in promoting endless war.

The battle in Washington continues. Every day offers a repeat of David vs. Goliath. Unfortunately, in this world Goliath often wins. But this is a battle that we cannot abandon. The stakes are too high. The principles are too important. And the lives at stake ours and everyone elses are too precious. Please contribute and help Antiwar.com continue this fight for peace today and into the future.

Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Foreign Follies: Americas New Global Empire.