qazse

7 Responses to “Iraqathon”

1. Fuck Fiction Says:

   
   January 2, 2008 at 4:15 pm

   Indeed, let’s hope that the new administration realizes that and finds a way to bring the troops home and not fuck that up too.

   Reply
2. Steve Says:

   
   January 2, 2008 at 6:25 pm

   Or maybe you were wrong all along and Iraq is being transformed into a working republic.

   Reply
3. qazse Says:

   
   January 2, 2008 at 8:24 pm

   FF – thanks for reading and commenting

   Steve – I pray you are right. However, I was not “wrong all along”. The invasion was a huge waste of money and life. It was an immoral assault upon a non threat. The judicious thing would have been to keep it neutralized via international processes to which Saddam was finally acquiescing. Rather, the administration ignored military advise and invaded a huge and politically complex country with an undermanned and under prepared military force. They knew there was no immediate threat. It was something which was hoped for all along. It is sad that the opposition party rolled over and played dead and allowed it all to happen. I hold the Democrats to greater blame.

   There is still much to play out. I hope peace comes about eventually.

   Are you aware that when Reagan was asked what was the turning point in his dealings with the USSR, Reagan said it was only when he began to have a dialogue with Gorbachev. We need to talk peace not strut like cocks.

   Thank you for reading and commenting

   Reply
4. Steve Says:

   
   January 2, 2008 at 9:36 pm

   Sure, but it wasn’t until Reagan began development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI, aka ‘Star Wars’) that Gorbachev came to the table, hat in hand. He realized that he could not compete militarily or economically with the United States. Sad to say, some people will only come to know peace through the big stick approach.

   Reply
5. qazse Says:

   
   January 2, 2008 at 10:29 pm

   I think war is rarely necessary and never justified. You do what you have to do to defend yourself – but never glorify it. It seems to me that proactive diplomacy and exchange are necessary (and in most cases sufficient) for lasting peace.

   Yet history is replete with glory war. It gives politicians excellent street credibility. War seems to be mostly about ego and aristocracy.

   Reply
6. Steve Says:

   
   January 3, 2008 at 11:33 am

   Hmmm, how many UN resolutions were in place againstt Saddam? Over how many years? You can ask the victims of his torture and rape rooms how many more resolutions would have been sufficient. It’s not about ‘glory war,’ though war has certainly been used as a cover or distraction (e.g., Bosnia used to distract attention from the Monica Lewinski debacle). There was much less reason to go into Bosnia than Iraq and Afghanistan. I agree, war is evil, but unfortunately, sometimes it’s a necessary evil.

   Reply
7. qazse Says:

   
   January 3, 2008 at 11:14 pm

   Regarding the invasion of Iraq – how much torture, rape, and mayhem has ensued since? We could have kept Saddam neutralized if the administration wanted to. Saddam was willing (after our most recent threats and moves) to allow the inspections to continue in length and scope and number. We should have not started a war on a second front. We should have used the initial $200 billion to stabilize Afghanistan, rebuild our intelligence infra structure and systematically rid ourselves of Al Qaeda, to name just a few. Should have done Afghanistan right and by then Saddam might have gone the way of Qaddafi. If not we could have dealt with it in a more intelligent way and strategic way. All this “Shock and Awe” “Mission Accomplished” bullshit was transparent marketing geek speak to normalize the abberant agenda of a White House bent on invasion. It was all so apparently manipulative. We are smarter than that bullshit.

   Regarding your Bosnia/Lewinsky assesrtion, you might be thinking of something else the neocons claimed was a ploy to take the heat off Clinton. In Dec 95 Clinton gave the order for the first group of American soldiers to go to Bosnia as part of NATO. The Lewinsky scandal did not break public until Jan 98. She had been in Washington only seven months at the time of the Bosnian deployment.

   Regarding the Lewinsky matter, it was wrong. However, I think the opposition did a great disservice to this country by perusing it publicly (should have spoken to him privately). All we heard about was “Monica” and “oral sex” 24/7 when we should have been having a public dialog on the rapidly growing specter of Islamic fascism and terror. But that would have required balls. Balls enough to address it with the Saudis and Israelis. No it was easier for all these politicos to beat the bloody pulp out of the presidency in hopes it would topple. That is not what our founders had in mind.

   Best Regards

   Reply

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