Dear Friends,
You may not want to read today’s column if you are looking for a message that is simple, positive and very directly related to an average workplace setting. You also may not want to read it if you are set against asking any kinds of questions or seeking any deeper meaning from the situation in Iraq. But I think there is a powerful leadership message below. It applies to both of our political parties, and it applies to us as citizens and leaders, and I’m taking this digression from my usual shorter, and more local fare, because I’m just not sure anyone else is saying this:
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I believe great leaders give a MORAL accounting for the work that we do with them. When Odwalla discovered a product of theirs had poisoned people, and when Johnson & Johnson learned the news of the Tylenol tragedy, both companies responded with transparency, candor, accountability, and compassion. Both healing and constructive forward-looking policies were the result.Â
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With the war in Iraq there’s an elephant in the room. And I’m not sure many of the Democrats recognize it, and I feel quite certain the President does not. The elephant in the room is our tragic moral responsibility: our actions as a nation unleashed a torrent of human violence and suffering. Before (some of) you turn me off, here’s what I am not saying. I am not saying Iraqis are not morally responsible for the deaths they have caused. Iraqis are perpetuating the continued sectarian violence, as well as attacks on our troops. But I am saying that our invasion was the proximate cause that has led to tens of thousands of deaths and as many as 2 million refugees. Had we not attacked – and/or bungled the aftermath – this killing would not be happening.
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Even if the president’s intelligence was significantly credible, even if the fall of Saddam was justifiable, and even if we sincerely thought we were prepared for the aftermath of our invasion, the results are what they are. And our actions — driven by the President, fueled by his supporters, cheered by most of the public, and endorsed by Democrats and Republicans alike — has led to all of these horrors that we continue to watch.
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We should admit at this point without condition that we grieve the extraordinary suffering our actions have caused. As our Jewish brothers and sisters seek personal “atonement” during this season of their new year, perhaps we should all – as one nation under God and indivisible – fast and pray in solidarity with our troops and our human brothers and sisters in Iraq. Our miscalculations have led to untold carnage. I didn’t believe in this war from day one, but I am sad I did not speak up with the loudest and clearest voice I could have. Some of the blood is on my hands.
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This is not just religious or moral talk, but I believe it is incredibly important from a policy standpoint. If we do not confront our moral responsibility, I fear our policies will necessarily be equally partial, half-right, misguided. If we do not deal with our sadness, regret — and as I argue here, our guilt – I am convinced these powerful emotions will work beneath the surface. We all – Ds and Rs and the unlabeled – rightly fear that the way we leave may create even greater chaos, pain and suffering. We are right to fear that, and to craft policy that minimizes that risk as best we possibly can. But if we don’t acknowledge our guilt, we may unconsciously generate more of the same mistakes. We have to tell ourselves the whole truth about the past so we can honestly see and think about what’s really here now.
At this point, the overriding objective and context should not be about Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is not irrelevant. But what is overriding is to quell the sectarian violence that we have helped to unleash. But if we don’t admit we unleashed it, we can pretend it’s almost secondary. Is America’s long-term safety relevant and important? Absolutely. But the overwhelming moral imperative is to pursue the best policies that will bring hopes for peace. If we were horrified — as we were — at the loss of over 3000 American lives in the World Trade Center, shouldn’t we be honest about the heart rending tragedy of the chaos that now exists in Iraq? Sometimes I wonder if the horror is just too much for the President to face. But leaders stand to repeat the mistakes they’ve made if they don’t face the past — and bring it to their followers to face with them — with brutal honesty.
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It’s time to stop the nonsense about international coalitions (it was 95% ours at the start and is about 99% ours now – just look at the casualties), about “finishing the job†(the job description keeps changing – WMD, Saddam, Al Quaeda – the job is to restore peace, do no more harm, and get our kids home). We let the genie out of the bottle. Admit it, grieve it, learn from it. But don’t pretend we can put it back in, because we can’t stand the guilt of knowing we pulled it out. Clearly, the Iraqi people must step up to end the sectarian violence that is now literally killing them.
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We’ve got to accept our moral responsibility if we’re going to move forward rationally, thoughtfully, calmly and compassionately. You’ve got to tell the truth – including the moral truth – if you’re going to
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lead with your best self,
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Thanks Dan for the thoughtful essay on Morality. Much of what you say has to be true. I wish our government would see the stregth of admitting faults. It takes a very brave person to admit they are/were wrong. And we are responsible for letting this happen as a nation. Many of us fought hard to stop the war, but the total responsibility falls on us as a nation. Hopefully we can get out of Iraq. There was a great interview on public radio last night with a middle East newspaper reporter who had interviewed Benlaudin. I advise you to study what he said. I paraphrase some of it here: “We cannot continue to abuse the Iraq people. Violence begets violence. By having war abroad we drain our resources, and that is exactly what Osama BenLaudin wants. Every time an Iraq native civilian is hurt, we lose ground, and their resentment grows. Osama would like to be a marytr, and the local cells of AlQuaida are growing in numbers and strength all over the world.” Peace, peace, peace, and non-violence are key. That is how I see things. The morality you speak of is so very important, as is our ability to acknowledge our mistakes and to promote healing, citizen by citizen. Let’s work together to stop this outrage.
Blessings,
Sister Marie Kopin, C.PP.S.
Thank you, Dan, for speaking up about our moral responsibility especially towards the Iraqi people. This is a major concern of mine too, seldom mentioned in the press/governmental/political rhetoric these days. I appreciate your bold leadership!
The issues surrounding our involvement in Iraq are complex; current debates focus primarily on single dimensions. Beyond political differences, most of us are frustrated with the lack of apparent solutions. Yet, I believe that when we are honest with ourselves as a country about our responsibilities, we will be able to see and think differently. Then we will find the paths and the collective will that can lead to peace and the resoration of social, cultural and economic wholeness to Iraq.
A quote from Albert Einstein seems relevant: “The world we’ve made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking.” Accepting responsibility for the the destruction we caused can help move our thinking to a different level.
Dan deserves credit for extolling the virtue of moral accountability in all of our affairs, whether in the public or private sector. My problem with his moral calculation on Iraq is that it begins in late 2002/early 2003 – he completely ignores the bloody way that Saddam came to power, the carnage of the Iran/Iraq war, the rape of Kuwait, the defiance of the sanctions and inspection regimes put in place by the UN in the aftermath of the first Gulf War, and the tens (hundreds?) of thousands of Iraqi’s who died at the hands of Saddam’s tyranny prior to OIF. I’ve highlighted two quotes from his statement that depict his ignorance of those points:
“The elephant in the room is our tragic moral responsibility: our actions as a nation unleashed a torrent of human violence and suffering.”
Wrong – there was a torrent of human violence and suffering in Iraq prior to OIF – it just wasn’t exposed to the world through the international media.
“It’s time to stop the nonsense about international coalitions (it was 95% ours at the start and is about 99% ours now – just look at the casualties), about “finishing the job†(the job description keeps changing – WMD, Saddam, Al Quaeda [sic] – the job is to restore peace, do no more harm, and get our kids home).”
Wrong again – there was no peace in Iraq (ask the Kurds) to restore, and Iraq was a constant threat to the stability and security (“peace”) in the region.
I agree that we have a moral responsibility to restore conditions of relative security and stability in Iraq, and admit that we have made grave mistakes along the way that have delayed achieving that objective. Some leaders should be held accountable for those grave mistakes – that would be a good example of moral accountability. Turning tail and running away from your failures is not moral accountability.
–posting from a friend who is a Naval Flight Officer currently engaged on the GWOT
I’m an unabashed conservative (as far as labels go) but rarely avoid splitting the ticket come voting time. I voted for GWB – twice. That said, I am in agreement with Dan’s missive. GWB and all the other politicians have seemingly become so devoted to their own (or their party’s) agenda that they can no longer see (or care) about doing the right thing. Face-saving or agenda advancement seems to be Washington’s primary driver nowadays. We need to admit OUR mistakes and develop a plan to exit in the fashion which will cause the least amount of further damage. That last part will generate lots of debate, but get started for heaven’s sake.
I felt most of the comments were genuine expressions of the feelings of the writers. I found it interesting that not a single elected official was represented. We talk about what the politicians are doing to America. In my opinion they simply reflect the disagreements of their constituencies. I appreciate Dan raising the issue while 100% dis-agreeing with his conclusions. Isn’t America great where we have that right. Lets keep talking in America and fighting overseas until the elected government of the American people decide that is not the right thing to do. I plan to do everything I can to elect someone who has the courage to re-earn our freedom with every generation and I’m also glad that others will be fighting to stop this war. I do believe that in the end the majority in a Democracy sets the right course.
I believe the War Against Terrorism is a concept we must all think about deeply and find what we feel about being free citizens of the world. Dan’s angst is appropriate for a free-thinker. Yet so many don’t share that angst because we are being led; just being led. And being led by who and with what types of intentions and values at stake? Look behind the curtains. What do you find? Who profits economically, politically and culturally from the war? (This is why we fight wars.) Who is hurt? Why do we insist on continuing to wear the blood on our hands? Why does it somehow work for us? At what point will it create disgust, dismay and horror? What would have to happen to us? Where is the source of terror right now? How do we compare the pain with the fear of pain? Where is the message of fear coming from? Who does that message benefit economically, politically and culturally? Why should we feel the need to atone with the Iraqis for what we did? What could we possible owe them? Moral for whom? IS the power we claim as Americans in the world being used appropriately according to our economic, political and cultural traditions? What would be the best indicators that we can or cannot trust our leaders in the White House?
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Thanks for posting this. Nicely done! (By the way, I was impressed with your ranking on Yahoo too, good job!) I’ll be checking back later to read some of your other stuff…