by Dean Hartwell
Frequently, we make
decisions in spite of contradictory facts. We know, for example, that
driving a car causes air pollution. Yet, even though we want clean air,
we justify our decision to use a car because of its convenience. In
short, we weigh the convenience over the costs.
Presidential administrations
also make decisions in this manner. President Truman had a choice to
make: kill hundreds of thousands of Japanese with the first atomic bombs to end
World War II or send hundreds of thousands of United States soldiers to certain
death or injury at the hands of Japanese who would fight to the death.
Given the consequence of ending the war with minimal U.S. casualties, he chose
the former.
In making these decisions, a
person typically considers factors like the possible consequences of the
decision, the probability each consequence will occur, who will be affected,
etc. The amount of weight one places upon each factor stems from the
value one attaches to them. In the Truman example, the president, in
assessing the strong likelihood of massive troop losses by not dropping the
atomic bombs, valued United States' lives over Japanese lives by ordering the
drops.
Which begs the question: how
will President Bush make his decision about Iraq?
The facts are murky.
Iraq may or may not have nuclear weapon capacity and weapons of mass
destruction. Saddam Hussein has attacked his neighbors and his own people
in years past. However, no proof connects Hussein to any attacks directly
against the United States.
Bush's decision on whether
to use force or not against Iraq will show his values. He will either
value collecting all relevant information about Hussein and his weapons
capabilities before he makes a decision, or he will value his fears about Iraq
by striking at them. He will either value our fellow nations at the
United Nations by seeking their support for a peaceful resolution or value the
convenience of attacking Iraq alone. He will either value telling the
public the truth of what he knows or value the excuse of hiding behind
"national security."
These decisions won't come easily, but sooner or later President Bush will show his hand and the public will better know his true values.