Food for Thought for Readers of First Things

Some time ago, George Weigel wrote an article for First Things magazine entitled "Moral Clarity in a Time of War" in which he said "moral muteness in a time of war is a moral stance . . . moral muteness in wartime is a form of moral judgment–a deficient and dangerous form of moral judgment." This, I think is true, no matter where you stand on war in general, and especially the war in Iraq. In the last Commonweal, Peter Dula, an aid worker in Iraq, and occasional reader of First Things like myself, calls its editors to task for this very kind of moral muteness in the face of a failing mission in Iraq. His "The War in Iraq: How Catholic Conservatives Got It Wrong" is a strong indictment which, unlike much that is critical of the likes of Weigel and Neuhaus, doesn't totally dismiss the important neoconservative contribution to Catholic discourse. I recommend having a look at both articles.