An Iraq war seems inevitable, regardless of the reports by U.N. inspectors, who, so far, have found nothing to justify an invasion, even under the administration's pre-emptive logic. If the government were wrong about the alleged weapons of mass destruction, how could anyone be sure it's right about Iraq being an imminent threat?

It seems like more and more Americans are questioning the wisdom, if not the morality, of an Iraq attack as the government continues its buildup of troops and weapons of destruction in the region.

Has a president ever before gone to war with only about half the population behind him? (Notice how I didn't have to add "or her.") Not likely. Of course, this president was elected with fewer votes than his opponent and had less than half the people behind him when he took office, so he's used to it.

I don't think a government has ever had so much vocal and visible opposition to a war before it started. Our entry into the first World War, perhaps, though that was different because a major conflict was under way. It is a healthy sign today that so many people think they can create a large-enough block to affect foreign policy. Unfortunately, so far the government isn't listening.

After the war begins, however, it may have to take notice as the opposition grows.

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I saw a website the other day that was ticking off by the second the time remaining in the president's first (and final) term. The good news was that nearly two years had expired; on the other hand, there was a long two years to go.

Will the opposition be able to come up with a candidate who can offer better prospects for peace in the future? It doesn't look good, with Sens. John Kerry, Richard Gephardt and Joseph Lieberman all supporting the president with their votes for an Iraq war. And Sen. John Edwards in North Carolina also stands firm. Only former Vermont governor Howard Dean wavers.

It is strange how some lawmakers, who opposed the Gulf War because they favored using nonviolent strategies to thwart the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, now believe it's OK to invade Iraq without any provocation.

Take our own Sen. Charles Schumer, who explained his October vote in favor of an Iraq war when he visited The Daily Star editorial board earlier this week. In the post-9/11 world, he seems to think it's fine for us to launch pre-emptive strikes if we believe nations or groups might pose a threat now or sometime down the road.

That might be a legitimate defense policy if, indeed, we could trust the people making the determinations. But the Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld triumvirate? No. So far, we haven't seen that many of their allegations about Iraq turn out to be true. And besides, what happened to the apparently outmoded idea of using peaceful strategies first and war as a last resort?

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Speaking of nonviolence, this weekend we are honoring one of the 20th century's greatest advocates of its strategic use in the struggle for civil rights. As the anti-war forces gather in Washington this weekend, they will be paying special attention to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as the nation marks his birthday.

Since it seems clear the United States is not following the example of Dr. King's nonviolence message, perhaps the Iraqis should. They have been thrust into the roles of underdog and victim to both their own dictator and the U.S. government. What would happen if the Iraqis just put down their arms and said, "sorry, we're not fighting" as they lay themselves down on the roads to Basra and Baghdad?

The aggression of our government would be even more insidious. Our troops would march in, take nonviolent prisoners, take control of the country, divvy up the oil and find other Iraqi factions as puppets to run the occupied nation.

How would such an action stand up in the court of world opinion? What about the court of our own people's view of their government?

When you think about the differences in firepower, whether the Iraqis fight or not would be of little consequence to the outcome of the war. So, why fight? And if they don't fight back, why attack?

Oh, I forgot: Iraq is part of the "axis of evil," is hiding weapons of mass destruction and poses an imminent threat to the United States.

Cary Brunswick is managing editor of The Daily Star. He can be reached at cary@thedailystar.com or at (607) 441-7217.