Why are we in Iraq?

buddhafoot

I keep forgetting who the terrorists are...

http://www.break.com/index/britishiraq12.html

-bf

federica

Kinda makes you real proud, don't it....

Crazy, crazy, crazy......

KungaTashi

wow, seriously what is wrong with people. At the beginning of this whole thing i was for going and getting the Hussein family out of power, but that was all I was for. It has gone on for to long, tons of thousands of people have become our enemies that were not before. Things like this make me wonder, like bf says, who is the real terrorist?

twobitbob

Didn't Thatcher label Nelson Mandella a terrorist once?
The world turns

Nirvana

With all due respect, Buddhafoot, I do not accept the terms of your question: Why are WE in Iraq?

I do not identify with any country that is doing all this evil. I know I will suffer the collective karma from the Bush/Cheney travesty in Iraq and the ongoing prisoner-abuse picture and video releases for which the commander-in-chief bears full responsibility. However, as every fibre of my being has opposed this unwisely-chosen war from day one, I would rephrase your question:
WHY is the U.S. in Iraq?

The only answer I can come up with is that the supreme court bit off a bit more than it should have back in 2000, and selected the wrong man --wrong for America and wrong for the times. And again, as we've written in other threads, the press does not serve the truth and the real issues of the American people and government. The press is always writing about management and finances, but rarely about labour issues. More to the point, though, in all my long life I never once heard a single word about the hundreds of thousands of votes thrown out in every presidential election, until Nov. 2000. If "our democracy" functions on the idea of "one man, one vote," then why not consider a ballot where the person voted for two candidates as "half a vote" for each? This makes a heck of a lot more sense to me than having electronic machines with no voter-viewed paper printout. I mean, it was clear that those people in Broward county were confused, and the U.S. Supreme Court had no business acting as early as it did in that case, effectively short-circuiting the high court of the state of Florida.
In short, this country has been sold to a powerful few, and they decided to go play bully overseas. But they're too old to go fight themselves, so they're sending other, younger people, many of whom would otherwise be unemployed.

Simonthepilgrim

Nirvana wrote:

With all due respect, Buddhafoot, I do not accept the terms of your question: Why are WE in Iraq?

I do not identify with any country that is doing all this evil. I know I will suffer the collective karma from the Bush/Cheney travesty in Iraq and the ongoing prisoner-abuse picture and video releases for which the commander-in-chief bears full responsibility. However, as every fibre of my being has opposed this unwisely-chosen war from day one, I would rephrase your question:
WHY is the U.S. in Iraq?

The only answer I can come up with is that the supreme court bit off a bit more than it should have back in 2000, and selected the wrong man --wrong for America and wrong for the times. And again, as we've written in other threads, the press does not serve the truth and the real issues of the American people and government. The press is always writing about management and finances, but rarely about labour issues. More to the point, though, in all my long life I never once heard a single word about the hundreds of thousands of votes thrown out in every presidential election, until Nov. 2000. If "our democracy" functions on the idea of "one man, one vote," then why not consider a ballot where the person voted for two candidates as "half a vote" for each? This makes a heck of a lot more sense to me than having electronic machines with no voter-viewed paper printout. I mean, it was clear that those people in Broward county were confused, and the U.S. Supreme Court had no business acting as early as it did in that case, effectively short-circuiting the high court of the state of Florida.
In short, this country has been sold to a powerful few, and they decided to go play bully overseas. But they're too old to go fight themselves, so they're sending other, younger people, many of whom would otherwise be unemployed.

I fear that the present situation was set up a very long time ago, many decades indeed. There are signs of it everywhere: "Manifest Destiny", "How the West was won", "the American Dream", "the frontier ideal". All have led to today.......

......... but that is how karma works.

Nirvana

Pilgrim, of course that's right, but "we" have the United Nations and "our" leaders have so much hubris that they think a few countries can "do the job," let the rest of the world be damned.

We live in a different world and in different times. New times call for new methods and a united front against common problems. The world has shrunk and become very closed-in upon itself. I fault the ruffians at the head of our government for not being more patient, deliberative, and communicative.
---

Simonthepilgrim

Nirvana wrote:

Pilgrim, of course that's right, but "we" have the United Nations and "our" leaders have so much hubris that they think a few countries can "do the job," let the rest of the world be damned.

We live in a different world and in different times. New times call for new methods and a united front against common problems. The world has shrunk and become very closed-in upon itself. I fault the ruffians at the head of our government for not being more patient, deliberative, and communicative.
---

Alas, all the good intentions and hard work that went into the creation of the United Nations, spearheaded by the US and culminating in the Charter, seem to be being undermined by the very founding members. And why? Because the UN refuses to be anyone's poodle: just look at the report on "Gitmo" and the innumerable resolutions against the State of Israel.

I truly believe that reform and strengthening of the UN are essential if we are to stop the slide into a world at war once again. I saw Europe awash with "DPs" (Displaced Persons) as a result of the last great conflict. It is happening again, in Asia and the Middle East this time. Looking at the results of the adventurism in Afghanistan and Iraq with a "Martian eye", it seems to me that the outcome is a vast movement of peoples, fleeing state-sponsored terrorism run by the democracies.

buddhafoot

Nirvana wrote:

With all due respect, Buddhafoot, I do not accept the terms of your question: Why are WE in Iraq?

Sorry, Nirvana... my bad. I was being too general when in fact, I believe, this clip is of British soldiers.

So why is "anyone" not specifically invited by Iraqi's in Iraq?

I guess I also look at it like "why are ""we"" in Iraq" because when the finger is pointed from other parts of the world - it's pointed at me. Even though I don't support it and never agreed to it, I'm bound to it (in a way) because of the country to choose to continue living in. That's the way it works with democracy. Majority rules (except for the last election, of course). And if you're part of the minority, you bear the same responsibility as the majority - because isn't that how democracy works?

Peace,

-bf

Knitwitch

I don't pretend to understand why "we" the Brits and Americans are in Irak but I do know that "we" are going to be there for a long time to come. It's another Yugoslavia - when forces are sent in to keep the peace, it is similar to a teacher breaking up a fight in a school yard - the antagonists will stop smashing seven bells out of each other only as long as there is someone watching and the origin of the argument isn't resolved. As soon as Teech turns her back they'll be at it again. And that, I am sadly afraid, is the case with countries too.

Palzang

The answer is obvious: We're in Iraq because we're not in Iran (yet)!

Palzang

buddhafoot

Well...

Just wait until they have something the US wants... then we'll come up with a reason to be there.

-bf