The always good Walter Russell Mead points out that the preferred “anti-war” program of ongoing “sanctions” actually kills more people in Iraq, mostly children, than a war would. Unfortunately the anti-war people are so far into their own fantasy land that facts, rational argument and moral reasoning cannot reach them. They’d rather just smoke a joint and carry around a picture of Bush with a Hitler moustache. Brilliant.

Mead’s essay is Exhibit 9,483 for getting this war started, fought and over with. So the poor suffering people of Iraq can have a chance to live decent lives again, to have medicine for their kids and clean water. C’mon, W, pick up the phone and just say “go!”

UPDATE: Iain Murray addresses some criticism of Mead’s math. Bottom line, it seems to me, the argument remains sound even if the numbers are a little off or open to dispute.