To: James Taranto, Opinion Journal


Dear James:


You write yesterday that Gen.Clark reaches new heights of incoherence in explaining why he approves of our having fought in Kosovo but not in Iraq. But Clark’s position, while wrong, is not incoherent.


Leftists support military action when it does nothing to increase American power or advance American interests; they oppose it when America benefits. Our action in Kosovo was purely “humanitarian,” altruistic, self-sacrificial–since we sought no gain for ourselves, they are all in favor. Invading Iraq, on the other hand, was self-interested–and therefore wrong in their eyes.


When Democrats accuse the president of waging war under “false pretenses” or of spilling “blood for oil” these are left-wing code words for what they really object to: America’s unapologetic assertion of its own interests.


Sincerely yours,


Paul Blair
Manhattan

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