George W. Vradenburg

In the following viewpoint, written during the 2003 Iraq war, George W. Vradenburg argues that although war can be cruel and brutal, it can bring about beneficial change. He contends that a successful military action by American and British troops against the regime of Saddam Hussein will greatly improve the lives of Iraq’s people by liberating them from a cruel and powerful dictator. Opponents of the war against Iraq, he maintains, fail to appreciate that war may be the only way to end the threat Hussein poses to his own people. Vradenburg is copublisher of Tikkun, a liberal Jewish magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What examples does Vradenburg give in arguing against the “moral equivalency” between Iraq and the United States?
2. How does...