It's entirely clear by now that America fought the Iraq war
under the Rumsfeld Doctrine, presumably a sentence of indescribable ugliness
and contradictory logic. Under the Rumsfeld Doctrine the Americans succeeded in
conquering 92% of the land-mass of Iraq in little over a week. 97% of Iraq is
entirely unpopulated by anything intelligent enough to leave, a category which
plainly does not include the Americans.
Under the Rumsfeld doctrine, America has sent 3 Marines and a
bugle to conquer one of the world's oldest civilisations, a feat to be
accomplished by the application of 'Shock and Awe'. 'And/or what?' we wonder.
Shock and/or mild surprise? "Oh save us, save us, the American Satans are
unleashing 'Operation Slightly Worrying' by flying something shaped rather like
a bat over Baghdad and letting off fireworks.
The Rumsfeld Doctrine assumes the self-evident superiority and
popularity of American models of society and culture. It sees Nationalism and
non-Christian religion as forms of terrorism. It believes in pre-emptive
attacks against those who oppose it without compelling evidence or
international support. The Rumsfeld Doctrine echoes the famous dictum 'Might is
Right', believing military superiority to be a judgement of the Lord - in this
it is identical to Israel, and at least the rhetoric of Saddam Hussein himself.
America is the playground bully of modern international diplomacy. The Rumsfeld
Doctrine is its moral code. Under the circumstances we can welcome neither
victory for the Rumsfeld Doctrine nor for the slightly pathetic, utterly
repugnant Stalin-groupie Saddam Hussein, whose very mustache - so reminiscent
of Liverpool F.C. in their distant heyday (Graham Souness still retains a
spectral negative after-image of his 1970's lip foliage even since a triple
heart bypass operation and civil war in Turkey) - deserves international
condemnation. The problem here is not whether Saddam should be deposed or not,
it is who has the right to do it. However, under the Rumsfeld Doctrine America
has the right to do whatever it likes.