John M. Tomaszewski – 6/11/06

This page was last updated on June 13, 2006.

Failing to learn from history; John M. Tomaszewski; Beaver County Times; June 11, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Our government in Washington, D.C., hasn’t learned the lessons of history.”

[RWC] If Mr. Tomaszewski really paid attention, he would know the “lessons of history” tell us we tend to underestimate the progress of our enemies.

“Following World War II, people were urging President Harry Truman for a preventive war against the Soviet Union before it was too late.

“In the 1960s, with Communist China building an atomic bomb, preventive war was again promoted, this time by U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona and others. Our leaders in Washington advocated a policy of containment.”

[RWC] Mr. Tomaszewski’s memory and/or history classes must be failing him.

According to both my memory and research, Sen. Goldwater never advocated “preventive war” against Red China.

At the time, “our leaders in Washington” were escalating the Vietnam War. Apparently, Mr. Tomaszewski’s definition of containment has changed between then and now.

“In the months before the Iraq war, President George Bush repeatedly said that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Vice President Dick Cheney persisted that time was not on our side. No weapons of mass destruction were found. Containment was taking its toll on Saddam. Iraq’s infrastructure was decaying.”

[RWC] As a reminded, Mr. Tomaszewski, everyone “repeatedly said that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction,” not just Messrs. Bush and Cheney.

“Now we have Iran wanting and building nuclear weapons. With patience, diplomacy and our improving strength, containment will succeed with Iran.”

[RWC] I won’t get into all the issues, but there are important differences between Red China and Iran. Iran is a theocracy run by a bunch of kooks who believe dying while trying to force Islam on the world will get them into heaven. Iran funds and supplies Islamic terrorists to the world and openly states it wants Israel wiped from the Earth.

Don’t get me wrong. We need to do just about everything we can do diplomatically to make sure Iran doesn’t get nukes.