In Morris Singer’s column featured on Friday, Dec. 5, Singer called the recent anti-Bush protests in Britain an example of “senseless opposition to our country from overseas.”

What evidence do you have that they are “senseless”? You say these protesters can’t debate the facts? The facts they have behind them are well known, but you make no mention of them. The threat from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was and is questionable. American respect for the United Nations may be essential to our future security. Without attempting to refute these specific ideas, you do nothing to prove that opponents to the occupation of Iraq are “senseless.”

You attempt to sidestep these questions by pretending that Bush’s opponents at home and abroad are against the United States in itself, rather then the specific things it does. The British public has been strongly opposed to the war and their prime minister has betrayed them in favor of Bush.

Therefore, the protests you describe are in support of democracy and national sovereignty, not “anti-Americanism.” If you have any evidence to the contrary, I don’t see it in your column.

“All that really matters is that we are acting … out of a benevolent interest for peace and security – principles that we have always stood for.” It is absurd to suggest that United States foreign policy has always been consistent with these principles, but even if it were sometimes consistent, it still wouldn’t follow that it is being consistent right now.

To refer to your own example, the United States did not get involved in World War II until its own military empire was directly threatened at Pearl Harbor. Until this point, the United States turned a blind eye to Hitler’s genocide.

Similarly, Saddam Hussein’s worst war crimes were perpetrated with United States support and raised little concern here until access to cheap Kuwaiti oil was finally under threat. If there was ever a situation where United States foreign policy was consistent with the goals of peace and security instead of might and greed, the Gulf region is definitely, definitely not it.

If the current occupation of Iraq is benevolent and principled, then prove it. Show that the protestors’ serious claims don’t hold up. Don’t pretend that they don’t have any. If you can’t do that, then calling protestors “anti-American” equates “Americanism” with blind obedience in support of imperialist domination. Our European allies don’t “hate” us; they disagree with us.

We ought to recognize the difference.

Brian Zbriger, UMass student