posted on March 21, 2003 01:12:31 PM new
This should give hawks and doves alike something to think about. I think the writer has put very clearly why some of us (while we DO support our troops - our young men and women!) have severe reservations about the WAY (not questioning the need) the U.S. is going about ridding the world of Hussein.
The column was headlined "Malice in Blunderland":
by Peter Freundlich a freelance journalist in New York
All right, let me see if I understand the logic of this correctly.
We are going to ignore the United Nations in order to make Saddam Hussein realize that the United
Nations cannot be ignored.
We're going to wage war to preserve the UN's ability to avert war.
The paramount principle is that
the UN's word must be taken seriously, and if we have
to subvert its word to guarantee that it is, then by gum, we will.
Peace is too important not to take up arms to defend.
Am I getting this right?
Further, if the only way to bring democracy to Iraq is
to vitiate the democracy of the Security Council, then we are
honor-bound to do that too,
because democracy, as we define it, is too important
to be stopped by a little thing like democracy as they define it.
Also, in dealing with a man who allows no dissension
at home, we cannot afford dissension among ourselves.
We must speak with one voice against
Saddam Hussein's failure to allow opposing voices to
be heard.
We are sending our gathered might to the Persian Gulf to make
the point that might does not make right, as Saddam Hussein seems to
think it does.
And we are twisting the arms of the opposition until it
agrees to let us oust a regime that twists the arms of the opposition.
We cannot leave in power a dictator who ignores his own people. And if our
people, and people elsewhere in the world, fail to understand that, then
we have no choice but to ignore them.
Listen. Don't misunderstand. I think it is a good
thing that the members of the Bush administration
seem to have been reading Lewis Carroll. I
only wish someone had pointed out that "Alice in
Wonderland" and "Through the
Looking Glass" are meditations on paradox and puzzle
and illogic and on the strangeness of things, not templates for foreign
policy.
It is amusing for the Mad Hatter to say something like, 'We must make war on him because he is a
threat to peace,' but not amusing for someone who actually commands an army to say that.
As a collector of laughable arguments, I'd be enjoying
all this were it
not for the fact that I know--we all know--that lives
are going to be lost
in what amounts to a freak, circular reasoning
accident.
posted on March 21, 2003 02:43:08 PM new
That was said better than anyone could of ever said it. How will the warmongers deny it(and they will with every misguided fiber of their body and spirit)
I am so embarrassed with my country....
Sitting in a bar the other night listening to two typical Bushbot hawks musing about if the US has enough bullets to "eliminate every raghead over there" So much for the belief that we are over there to "Liberate" the Iraq people. The US is going to do some liberating all right, liberating their oil and riches.
"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both boldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."
- Julius Caesar
[ edited by mlecher on Mar 21, 2003 02:45 PM ]
posted on March 21, 2003 03:48:18 PM new
You seem to be fixated on the thought that people who don't share the same views as you are dense in some way. Come on Twelvepole, can't you see that being a bit narrow minded, or are you just joking, as with your past posts?
posted on March 21, 2003 04:17:38 PM new
The bombing of Iraq is shameful.
The use of the term, anti-American has become irrational and racist indicating an inability to understand meaning beyond extremes. Everything is either love or hate - black or white. If you're not with us you're with Saddam. Now, if you oppose war, you're anti-American!!!
Everyone should be able to hold two opposed ideas at the same time. I can, for example, believe that Saddam is an evil man and at the same time, dislike Bush. I can also oppose the idea of going to war to achieve peace while maintaining my allegiance to America. Imagine that!!!
posted on March 21, 2003 04:26:52 PM new
France and Gremany was the problem,if they would not have veto,Sadam would have seen a strong suport against him.The Vetos gave the dictator false hope which combined with his unwiling to disarm lead to this war.Simply in a nutshell,Times up.The USA is doing the right thing do not feel sad for this weak country,because we are cutting them like butter.Today I had a nice Steak in an upscale resturant.You won't find that in Iraq.But you will in about 60 days thanks to USa.
posted on March 21, 2003 05:02:41 PM new
Well said, thanks for that, Roadsmith.
Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought?… Has it ever occurred to you, Winston, that by the year 2050, at the very latest, not a single human being will be alive who could understand such a conversation as we are having now?…The whole climate of thought will be different. In fact, there will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.
posted on March 21, 2003 05:53:20 PM new
So what is narrow minded to you? Showing utter disgust to the scum that is showing disrespect to our troops is not narrow minded in my book.
Being Pro-choice and anti-war is narrow minded though...
posted on March 21, 2003 11:00:15 PM new
I posted a link to the page from Amnesty International. It seems to me they are a reputable orginization. Helen said, I don't choose to believe that.
