Re: A Message from Congressman Doggett

["Clement M. Henry" <chenry@mail.la.utexas.edu>]

Dear Lloyd,

I am proud of you for making this statement and continuing to ask rational
questions in these crazy times.  I am afraid that the new Bush Doctrine of
preemptively aggressing anyone we do not like will be read in future years
as a formal Declaration of American World Empire (or maybe Hegemony is a
more polite word fewer people will understand).  The surviving superpower
seems to have decided not to try through international institutions to
transform might into right (remember that old challenge of legitimacy that
Jean Jacques Rousseau remarks in the opening of his Social Contract?).

I will make your statement known to my students, as you will see on this
email.  As a professor I cannot campaign for you in the classroom but I
can certain disseminate your distinguished views. I would only add that
there is another cost to any unilateral war against Iraq, the undying
emnity of much of the Arab world that may cost us much more over coming
decades morally, economically and politically.  The Bush Administration
does not want to look ahead (beyond the next two or, heaven forbid, six
years of its own life span) to the time when the US will be only one of a
number of powers in the world.

Best wishes, Clement

On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 lloyd.doggett@mail.house.gov wrote:

>
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>
>
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>              September 20, 2002
>
>
> Clement M. Henry
> 1509 Westlake Drive
> Austin, Texas  78746-3719
>
> Dear Clement:
>
> Yesterday President Bush asked Congress to approve a sweeping
> resolution authorizing him essentially to take any action he deems
> appropriate with regard to Iraq.  My remarks, as the first member
> of the Congress to rise in opposition to this proposal, are attached.
>
> Committee consideration will be underway next week, and
> Congress can be expected to vote on it within about 10 days.  I
> hope you will continue to voice your concern about the rush to war
> in every reasonable way as I will be doing.
>
>
> The Cost of War
> Rep. Lloyd Doggett
> September 19, 2002
>
> Members of Congress must thoughtfully reflect on their neighbors'
> concerns and not serve as a mere speed bump on a fast road to war.
> This Administration has failed to provide evidence to us here in the
> Congress, either secretly or publicly, that Saddam Hussein, a
> despicable dictator, represents an imminent threat to Americans,
> that he had a role in the tragedy of 9-11, or is in any way directly
> linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network, or that his danger to the
> world has significantly changed since 9-11.  If such evidence
> exists, the President should come forward and ask for a declaration
> of war.  Instead, the President has today submitted to the Congress
> the draft of a sweeping resolution that would, if approved and
> implemented fully by the Administration, commit thousands to
> death and extract billions from the pockets of American taxpayers.
>
> It is interesting to contrast this resolution with that enacted in
> August of 1964 upon which the Vietnam War was fought, the Gulf
> of Tonkin resolution.  At minimum, this Congress would do well
> to narrow the President's request today to the overly expansive
> language of the Gulf of Tonkin, which did at least limit the
> Commander in Chief "to take all necessary measures to repel any
> armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent
> further aggression.''  The resolution also provided that we would
> react if a member state of a particular defense treaty of which we
> were a member was "requesting assistance in defense of its own
> freedom.''  President Bush is seeking much, much greater authority
> than the Gulf of Tonkin resolution.
>
> I believe that it is very important for Americans to realize that
> launching a war against Saddam Hussein, despot that he is, will
> entail costs far beyond the battlefield.  In addition to questioning
> why young Americans will be almost alone to die in order to win
> this war, there will be extraordinary costs that will touch the lives
> of every family in America--costs that will certainly require
> reaching into the pocket of every taxpayer in this country.
>
> This week on the front page of no less a publication than the Wall
> Street Journal, President Bush's top economic adviser, Lawrence
> Lindsey, estimated that the cost of waging this war in which this
> Nation is about to embark may rise as high as $200 billion.  That is
> "billion'' with a "B''.  That is billions that take away the hopes and
> dreams of so many of us for the opportunities that this country
> could afford.  That is $200 billion with a "B'' that could be
> available to ensure a life of dignity for many older Americans; and
> provide economic security, healthcare, prescription drugs, and
> strengthen Social Security for our baby boomers.  That is billion
> with a "B'' that will not be available to assure the educational hopes
> and opportunities of a generation of young Americans.  It is
> billions with a "B'' that will be spent on war in Iraq, instead of
> being spent to address our many other types of security needs here
> at home.
>
> The $200 billion estimate, as high as it is, may be misleadingly
> low.  We do not know whether this includes the prolonged
> occupation of Iraq and all of the associated costs, which Vice
> President  has admitted are an essential part of this war; the
> rebuilding of Iraq, installing a new regime, wherever that might
> come from, as well as, of course, the much higher prices all of us
> can expect to pay as a result of increases in the price of oil.
>
> According to the same Wall Street Journal article, other
> Administration economists say their main fear is that an Iraq war
> could lead to a sustained spike in [oil] prices.  This estimate also
> does not include the cost of the war widening if, for example one
> of our few allies decides to become involved, and as a result other
> oil suppliers no longer supply that oil and there is additional
> regional conflict.
>
> "Whatever the bottom line,'' the Wall Street Journal reports, "the
> war's cost would be significant enough to make it harder'', much
> harder, "for the Bush Administration to climb out of the budget
> deficit hole,'' which, I would add, grows deeper and deeper.
>
> So I would urge our colleagues to review this resolution very
> closely, offer their ideas, informed by their constituencies, and seek
> to work with President Bush to bring us together in favor of
> effective international arms inspection, instead of leading us into a
> war that cannot be justified based on present evidence.
>
>
>
> Lloyd Doggett
> 328 Cannon House Office Building
> Washington, D.C. 20515
> (202) 225-4865, (512) 916-5921
> www.house.gov/doggett
>

*****************************
Clement M. Henry
Professor of Government
University of Texas at Austin
Austin TX 78712
tel 471-5121, fax 471-1061