Giving War a Chance

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has called for a United Nations investigation into Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Kucinich likened the Israeli attacks on Gaza to its war with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in 2006. In both cases, he said, civilian populations were attacked and “countless innocents” were killed or injured.

“All this was, and is, disproportionate, indiscriminate mass violence in violation of international law,” Kucinich said in a statement. “Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable.”

While the readers of Huffington Post seem to think Kucinich is a hero, his views are not shared by other Congressional Democrats or by President-elect Obama. They’re not exactly singing “give peace a chance.” Quite to the contrary, they are saying that, in confronting Hamas, Israel ought to “give war a chance.”

While it is generally not advisable to take folks like Kucinich all that seriously, it might be instructive to consider the political implications of his views. According to Kucinich, Israel’s attack on Hamas violates international law. President-elect Obama and Democrats in Congress support Israel’s attack on Hamas, therefore it would seem to follow that President-elect Obama and the Democrats in Congress are contemptuous of international law. And are too willing to support the use of military force. Isn’t that what they said ad nauseum of the Bush administration?

I suspect it may be too early to launch an “Impeach Obama” campaign, though.