The Fresno Republican
Andrew Ping's Fresno Republican Newspaper Op-Ed Column Archive - Page A1

Friday, February 26, 1999

Mistaken Methods
By Andrew Ping, Staff Writer

     WASHINGTON — To enforce peace in Kosovo, the U.N. was willing to bomb them and send in troops. To prevent Saddam Hussein from flying warplanes in his country because he might kill people, we and England drop bombs on Iraq. Does anyone else see a problem with these methods?
     Bombs, warplanes, troops, and all that go with war are for the defense of our nation. At least, the Constitution allows for the organization of army and navy for the defense of the United States. Why, then, are we using them to bludgeon other countries into submission?
     In the past, war was a somewhat clear phenomenon. A group that poses a threat to the U.S. or its allies attacks, and then they are fought until they surrender. War was total, and the enemy was deprived of all power to make war.
     Someone got the mistaken idea that our military exists as a political option. That is, if the peace talks are going badly, we can drop a few bombs and shoot a few people, and that will fix it. In the case of Iraq, if after a war we don't like the actions of a leader, we can bomb him until he does what we like.
     The major problem with this philosophy is that it doesn't work. Peace can not be enforced at gun point; such a method will eventually fail. We can not bomb or shoot years or even centuries of ethnic hatred out of fighting factions, not unless we're willing to kill them all. Obviously we're not going to wipe out other nations, so the end result is that all sides involved will be angry with the U.N., and especially the United States, since we've time and time again proved ourselves happy to spill American blood and waste taxpayers' money on other people's wars.
     Given that we can not cause ethnic unity in foreign countries by shooting them or blowing them up, we should use the money elsewhere. We have a social security system that needs funds badly. There's a huge national debt draining the nation's vitality through exorbitant interest payments, and our education system needs a lot of work. Finally, every U.S. citizen and business would appreciate a tax break.
     Every last cent we have could be spent on military equipment and sent to stop every ethnic conflict in the world, but the peace would last only until our ammunition ran out. Let's use the money to build up our nation rather than irrationally try to promote peace by threat of bloodshed.

Copyright © 1999 The Daily Republican Newspaper Co. All rights reserved.

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Friday February 12, 1999,

Lies and Abuse

By Andrew Ping, Staff Columnist

The House has impeached William Jefferson Clinton
and sent him to the Senate for trial on the merits.

     BERKELEY - Watching the impeachment debates, I saw a clear pattern. The Democrats who support President Clinton insisted that impeaching him goes against the will of the American people, and that we should strive for a new, more cooperative political structure that is not so strongly bipartisan.
     Those who argue in congress against Mr. Clinton's impeachment employ tactics much like the President's own. Now that their leader is in trouble, they want to distract the issue, to strive for a united congress and put past differences behind them. At least until after the impeachment vote.
      Similarly, Clinton himself did not have the strength to launch an assault on Iraq until it came to the day that he faced impeachment. Then, to save his own career, he was perfectly willing to spend millions of U.S. dollars and as much American blood as it takes to "protect the nation's security".
     To protect his own security, he meant. What greater abuse of power can there be than to launch an attack on a foreign country to distract congress and the citizens of our great nation? What more heinous act can be committed than to cause honest military personnel to be killed to protect one's own career?

     Let us not be distracted by the tactics of a slick politician and a proven liar. In the impeachment debates, those in favor did not appeal to the emotions to persuade. They did not try to defend wrong doing.
      In clear arguments that cited frequently from the Constitution of our country, they outlined precise charges to impeach for those offenses.
     The stronger case is made by those seeking justice and the removal of a man who seeks privilege, power and passion, and leaves the supporters of Clinton with no defense.
     This is why they make those sensational claims and nebulous comments about what they make an unsupported claim to know "the will of the American people". They are outgunned, and they know it.
      It will be a great day when the American people can again put trust in a leader and not be betrayed.
     Let us hope that congress is willing to send a strong message to future presidential candidates: breaking the law is not acceptable, and no one is immune to full justice.
     [Editor's Note. This story originally appeared on the Daily Republican Newspaper's Front Page on 12/19/98. It is republished here in response to reader requests. Andrew Ping writes the 'View from the terrace' Column for the Fresno Republican Newspaper every Friday.]

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