Lame geometry --the axis of evil.

• Author: Howell, Llewellyn D.
• Position: World Watcher - Brief Article

IS IT ENOUGH that a silly phrase, an "Axis of Evil," has been beaten to death by adversaries and allies? Hardly. There can be no limit on what can be said about this inappropriate and misconceived characterization of what was intended to be the central foreign policy theme of the Bush Administration.

Both ends of the simplistic phrase deserve as much attention as we can give it. Let's start with the designation of "evil" for the three countries named--Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Until Sept. 11, evil was something you found in third-rate movies and in churches from the dark side of Christianity. Evil has to do with the devil, the supernatural, and divergent religious beliefs that underlie subcultures. Evil is propagated by the devil, that grotesque figure conjured up with ghosts and demons by true believers. It plays on the most primitive instincts of mankind in calling together those who fear the earthly manifestations of the spirits of Hades.

By branding the conflict one between good and evil, Bush has brought religion to the battle with terrorism. While arguing that the current conflict is one with a radical subgroup and not with Islam, the President, with his axis of evil analogy, nevertheless calls upon conservative Judeo-Christian sensitivities to rally the nation (and a few others) behind his cause. The inclusion of the concept of evil incorporates religion, underpinning the notion that this is a clash of cultures and that ultimately this is a war between civilizations--Judeo-Christianity vs. Islam.

The Administration's argument might be more plausible if the three named nations had something in common that could realistically be labeled evil, but they don't. Iran's positioning for the last 23 years has clearly been one of having an alternative religious foundation to that of the Judeo-Christian West. Being driven by powerful and recognized beliefs that are at variance with those of the West is not evil. Saddam Hussein of Iraq, from a political science point of view, would better be identified as a criminal tribalist than as evil. North Korea's monarchic and dictatorial leader, Kim Jong-Il, is frequently portrayed as a psychologically unbalanced loner, out of touch with the reality of the modern world. If this is evil, we have thousands of institutions (and many more households) filled with evil people right here in America. Iran is a religious state built around the premises of Shi'a Islam. Iraq is a secular government, albeit Sunni...