From Ramzy Baroud in his article on Asia Times Online criticizing French President Francois Hollande’s reaction to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack by stating France must “fight the terrorists over there” (i.e., in Iraq and Syria) to protect the French homeland.
Frivolous wars are like drugs. They may start with the intention of achieving a fleeting sense of ecstasy, but with time they become a lethal escape from reality. Like drugs, a warlord is dependent on war and can only be sustained and validated by it. Hollande is a warlord in the western sense, what Americans refer to as “a war president”.
But as Bush’s notorious legacy has proven, while war-induced fear and vain patriotism may keep a leader in office long enough, the terrible consequences of unchecked violence shall be felt for many years to come.
