Justifiability versus wisdom

Atrios makes a point that is bizarrely overlooked these days: "After 9/11, the justifiability of our actions quickly got confused with the wisdom of them."

Whether we can do something, in terms of ability and/or legitimacy, is far less important than whether or not we should. This is true in a variety of arenas, but perhaps never more so than with foreign policy and defense.

There's been a lot of discussion recently about what We Must Do about Iran, a conversation that recently got a contribution from Crazy Uncle Joe, formerly sane Senator of the Connecticut for Lieberman party. Lieberman suggested that military action is the logical recourse if Iran does not respond to U.S. demands, apparently referring to repeated (though shaky) claims that Iran is significantly contributing to the insurgency in Iraq.

Now, I have no problem with U.S. power, and in the right hands, I think U.S. foreign policy, including the use of force when appropriate, can be a tremendous force for good. The idea, however, that the use of force is somehow an intrinsic good, is astonishing, especially in the face of the continuing Iraq debacle.

Even leaving aside the issue of precisely *what* we would bomb, what do these people think would happen if we attacked Iran? First of all, the Shia in Iraq would erupt, seriously threatening not only tens of thousands of soldiers, but our entire strategic posture with regard to supply lines and fortifications. Targeting Iran would worsen Iraq far more than it would help.

Regarding Iran itself, the regime clearly believes it needs a deterrent, and a nuclear weapon certainly is that. The lesson of Iraq for Iran was this: three countries were identified as the Axis of Evil. The one with nukes, North Korea, has escaped unscathed, even been offered incentives. One without nukes, Iraq, had its government overthrown. Not hard to imagine why Iran wants the bomb, and an attack on Iran would convince them that they don't need a deterrent . . . how, exactly?

What we are "justified" in doing is really less important than what would be, y'know, a good idea. No amount of posturing changes that fact.