John, by raising the India/Pakistan you are addressing one of my fears for
what this precedent would set, and one of the reasons that I initially
opposed this war.
But it is a hope, admittedly a small one, that India ( a democracy) and
Pakistan ( with some democratic history) will not be crazy enough to launch
a war over WMD....
As for Syria, I hope things can calm down. But I will not weep long for a
dictator like Assad, who may be as bad as his father was.
Maybe 9/11 set its own precedent, While I still question the level of
alliance between Saddam and al-Queda, surely you must see that the extreme
experience of an attack on NYC and DC was going to herald an historic
change. Saddam may not have been an Islamo-Fascist, but he and his Baath
Party ( started in Syria, I might add) are much in the tradition of an Arab
fascism that has a noxious history in the Middle East over the last century.
They have hated the West in general and the Jews in particular. Would it not
be nice to see that gone?
It is possible that 9/11 awakened a sleeping giant. It might not be fair to
blame the Saddams, the Khdafys, and the Assads for Islamic terror. But if
these thugs are knocked out of power as a result of the acts of democracies
such as the U.S and Britain, it will be good for the West help stamp out
anti-Semitism, and protecting world peace ,progress, and human goodwill.
Lenny
> >
> > I am, however, still against this war. The fact that Hussein has
> WMDs
> > (e.g. "big bad weapons") and may use them is no excuse to invade.
> > Doing so sets a dangerous precedent: As we mull over the pros and
> cons
> > of now attacking Syria for the same reasons, reports are coming in
> > that India is considering attacking Pakistan, for the very same
> > reasons: India claims that Pakistan has WMDs and is harboring
> > terrorists. Why would India's "war against terror" be any less valid
> > than the American one?
> >
> > The United States does not have the unilateral right to "correct" a
> > regime that it sees as unfit.
> >
> > Just my two rupees.
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> > --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "Georgie Hinklemyer"
> > <samoolives_at_y...> wrote:
> > > I agree. I've heard about true acts of nobility performed by our
> > > troops - the same ones who were sent out to do serious damage to
> > > another country's leadership. A general telling his soldiers to
> kneel
> > > down and point their weapons at the ground to show the
> townspeople
> > > they mean no harm to the local mosque. A 16-year veteran
> > > acknowledging that people are happy to see Saddam's reign end but
> > > disgusted with the bodies and bloodshed in the streets, and
> sorrowing
> > > over the condition of a freed prisoner of the regime. Soldiers
> > > talking to Iraqis and trying to get them to organize themselves
> into
> > > some sort of police force for their own protection. Talking
> > > one-on-one to the Iraqi people. Once the weaponry was put aside,
> we
> > > got some pretty damn honorable people trying to do some pretty
> damn
> > > honorable things. Yes, I can support the Coalition forces (now)
> > > without condoning the purported reasons for going in, the
> flaunting of
> > > our science and power in the many faces of the world. Here at
> home,
> > > it seems no one listens to anyone with a differing viewpoint.
> > > (Present company excepted, of course!)
> > >
> > >
> > > G.H.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "tschibasch"
> > > <tschibasch_at_y...> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > > I could not agree more with David. It is entirely possible to be
> > >
> > >
> > > > AGAINST the war but SUPPORT the military. And it is our right to
> > >
> > >
> > > > demonstrate, if we so choose.
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > And another thing: We are only too aware that Iraqis could never
> > >
> > >
> > > > demostrate against their own government. The fact that they
> cannot
> > > and
> > >
> > >
> > > > we can does not mean that we shouldn't.
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > John
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "dne44"
> <dne_at_d...>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > > > Lenny-
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > > It's as simple as this: I respect and admire the courage,
> > > dedication
> > >
> > >
> > > > > and professionalism of our troops. However, I do not believe
> in
> > > the
> > >
> > >
> > > > > cause and timing of this war as outlined by our government,
> and
> > >
> > >
> > > > > therefore do not support the war. This does not strike me as
> a
> > > self-
> > >
> > >
> > > > > contradicting view in the least.
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > > When we see actions such as those taken by the president of
> the
> > >
> > >
> > > > > baseball hall of fame refusing to honor the movie Bull Durham
> > > because
> > >
> > >
> > > > > of the political views of Tim Ribbins and Susan Sarandon, it
> > > strikes
> > >
> > >
> > > > > me that more than ever people are losing the ability to be
> > > rational
> > >
> > >
> > > > > about what free speech is supposed to mean (and this is true
> of
> > > both
> > >
> > >
> > > > > sides; however, it is particularly worrisome on the right
> since
> > > the
> > >
> > >
> > > > > government is taking an actively anti-free speech stand, at
> least
> > >
> > >
> > > > > rhetorically).
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > > - David
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > > --- In OliveStarlightOrchestra_at_yahoogroups.com, "7visions"
> > >
> > >
> > > > > <7visions_at_p...> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > > > > As for the " I Support the Troops" line being bandied
> about, it
> > > has
> > >
> > >
> > > > > always
> > >
> > >
> > > > > > been a bit of a cliche. This men and women have trained for
> a
> > > long
> > >
> > >
> > > > > time to
> > >
> > >
> > > > > > be where they are. If you say, "I Support the Troops, but I
> am
> > >
> > >
> > > > > against what
> > >
> > >
> > > > > > they are doing", just what are you actually saying? ..." I
> think
> > >
> > >
> > > > > you are
> > >
> > >
> > > > > > nice people, but I don't like soldiers". ?
> > >
> > >
> > > > > >
>
>
>
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Received on 2003-04-15 18:24:00