Norman Geras on Iraq

I rarely link to an article without comment, but on this occasion I will link and defer comment. Norman Geras writes on his site of the civilian death toll in Iraq, and concludes: "I am bound to acknowledge that, though I never expected an easy sequel in Iraq, much less a 'cakewalk', I did not anticipate a failure on this scale, and had I done so, I would have withheld support for the war without giving my voice to the opposition to it." The post is powerfully reasoned and movingly stated, and I urge you to read it.

Norman is an eminent political philosopher whose work in that field I have learned much from. Outside his academic and popular writings, I invariably also benefit when seeking his opinions directly on matters of politics and ethics. (I have periodically taken part, for example, in BBC radio discussion programmes. If the respective producers are reading this, I should concede that I have turned up to the studio only after consulting Norman about the subject under review.) Norman is a good and humane man, whom I am proud to count a comrade and friend.

I respect but do not share the judgement that Norman expresses in this post. I believe our difference may be due, in part at least, to the fact that our grounds for supporting the Iraq War in 2003, while associated, were not identical. I will endeavour to explain why, in light of Norman's reasoning, I do not agree with his conclusions.