Bush – Did the right thing

George W. Bush decided that contracts to rebuild Iraq would go to those who participated in and supported the Liberation -- opponents would be barred. Bush said that it was the right thing to do. Bush is right.

European and American critics think Bush should open the contracts to all – not just those who supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bush said at the beginning, if you aren’t with us, you are against us -- Fair Warning. Evidence gathered during the war indicates that some of those countries complaining may actually have been dealing with Iraq against UN resolutions and selling Iraq military items.

In the Order of the Centurions, part of the motto is “Do What is Right”. A close look at the original Greek in the scriptures uses the word “Dikaiosune” for “right.” Strong defines it as “1. state of him who is as he ought to be, righteous, the condition acceptable to God: a. The doctrine concerning the way in which a man may attain a state approved by God b. integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting. 2. In a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due.” It is, of course, the secondary sense that so applicable in this situation.

I cannot imagine taking an army into harm’s way with my men under fire while a group of people hurl insults at me, condemn me, and comfort the enemy; and then expect that I have some obligation to include them in the reconstruction of the vanquished to their financial benefit. There would be nothing “Just” about that – it might be politically wise, it might be benevolent, but not right.

Take it out of the political realm for a moment and look at it as one would in business. Let’s say you make a very risky investment. Your competition does all it can to obstruct you in your purpose while your associates also place themselves at physical and fiscal risk in joining with you. When you have succeeded you announce that you intend to share a good portion of the financial rewards of the hard-earned victory with your competition. Why? Do you think they will like you and join you in future endeavors? Your cohorts will think you are nuts – that you lack “correctness of thinking.” Your competition would no doubt celebrate, but would not think you any more “Just” than would your heretofore associates. Your competitors would have no economic motivation to place anything at risk for you in the future. You seem to be willing to bear all of the risks and their insults as well, and then treat them as if they had all along supported you.

Ironically, the Democrats have historically supported this “rule” as “right”. According to the Random House Dictionary of Quotes, in 1832 Senator William Learned Marcy (1786-1857) of New York was the first man on record to quote this obviously older rule when he said in Congress that, “they (the Democrats) see nothing wrong in the rule that to the victor belong the spoils…" 

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