On antiwar demonstrations

On antiwar demonstrations

In the Feb. 26 edition of The Jakarta Post, Spartz laments
the worldwide antiwar protests, but has taken his axe to the
wrong tree. The issue is not Saddam Hussein's crimes, which are
well known to the whole world. Nobody has forgotten them, and no
one is defending him.

Protesters are also very familiar with atrocities in Africa
and other places, and they also know that for decades The Great
Savior, America, was nowhere to be seen.

Anyway, the point of the protests is not whether Saddam
Hussein should be removed, or whether his borders "should at all
costs remain inviolate", but whether America has the right to
proclaim itself Commander of the World, announce which country it
intends to invade, and expect the whole world to trot along
behind. Many millions of people all over the world do not think
so, and have duly expressed their opinion in public.

Spartz continues: "Iraq's fate and political future should be
everyone's concern and not that of the U.S. alone". But Spartz,
that's precisely the point, don't you get it? It is America's
attempted bullying of the United Nations as well as European
countries that is stifling democratic expression of that concern.

Another consideration driving protests against this
forthcoming war is the worldwide perception that no sooner will
Donald Rumsfeld's tanks have rolled into Iraq than Dick Cheney's
drilling-rigs will roll in behind them. America has a lot yet to
do to convince everyone of the sincerity of its motives, and that
it cares what the rest of the world thinks. Until then, protests
are likely to continue.

JOHN HUMPHRIES
Jakarta