When Will We Ever Learn?

On 9/11, we were told "this changes everything." The terror attacks on New York and Washington were painted as one-of-a-kind events without historical parallel. In reality, they were an all too familiar repeat performance. Our meddling in the affairs of other nations had backfired upon us yet again.

"Remember Pearl Harbor!" "Remember the Lusitania!" "Remember the Maine!" Each of these battle cries refers to very real events – and each refers to attacks (or, in the case of the Maine, a tragic disaster of uncertain origin) that would never have happened had America adhered to the wise counsel of Washington that "the great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible," and Jefferson advising "peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none."

Osama bin Laden's "declaration of war" against the United States cited the following grievances: (1) occupation of Palestine and the blind American support of Israeli aggression; (2) the sanctions upon Iraq, which cost the lives of half a million innocents; (3) the presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia. We can believe what we want about mass murderer bin Laden's sincerity in invoking those grievances, but they resonated with the people of the Middle East and they allowed bin Laden to fund, recruit, train, and deploy an army of terrorists against America.

Is America to blame for the 9/11 attacks? No. Terrorists are responsible for their actions – and we are responsible for ours. America must cease putting "bad guys" on its "defense" payroll to fight other "bad guys." When we finance and protect an Osama bin Laden, a Manuel Noriega, or a Saddam Hussein for our own purposes, we're likely to find him at our throats for someone else's purposes in the future.

America must forswear the killing of innocents and noncombatants, the torture of prisoners, and other atrocities in the name of "war." Such atrocities create more enemies than they kill. They create new grievances, new wars, and yet more atrocities in kind. More