For those intent on waging war against Iraq, the word "Munich" is shorthand for "appeasement." It has been brandished against those -- be they European governments, leading congressional Democrats, or cautious Republicans and State Department officials -- who are not fervently committed to a U.S.-led battle to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein.
Yet those who talk of Munich -- site of France and Britain's attempt at pacifying Nazi Germany before World War II -- in the context of today do little justice either to the dilemma of those who negotiated with Adolf Hitler then or to those who must weigh the need for military action today.
Rather than adding depth to our debate, this historical analogy has been deployed in a shallow way to intimidate political foes as much as the enemies who mean us actual harm.
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