Settting some things straight

Published on May 17, 2004 By Real_Kiko In International

By Real-kiko in England
Posted Monday, May 17, 2004
Discussion: Politics

So I've just started this blog with so much to say where do I begin?
Firstly about the war in Iraq. Now we all know about the prison scandal yet few are willing to accept the scale. President Bush sees the problem of as a result of a few bad apples. However the abuse is more widepsread than conservatives are willing to accept. Also according to a memo signed by Rumsfeld authorising sexual humilation of prisoners and other forms of abuse, FACT. Michael Savage a conservative US broadcaster said that the US should kill 1000 Iraqis just to show that the US means business. And this guy has an audience of 7 million. His views may seem extreme but many in America believe this kind of bigoted nonsense.
Secondly will the US ever realise the lessons of 9/11. It seems that the invason of Iraq and the stubborn defence of Israel proves that the anser is no. First President Bush with PM Blair outline a 'roadmap'. Then Sharon unilateraly plans to pull setlements out of Gaza, a plan fully supported by Bush .Even the Palasteninas who are part of the roadmap were ignored and dismissed as irrrelevant. Yet dithering Bush hadn't finished changing his mind when King Hussian of Jordan came to visit. Announcing US support of a two state solution which is part of the roadmap Bush showed that he didn't know what he wasd talking about. The US's unquestioning support of Israel only helps to fuel Arab anger and acts a perfect recruiting tool for more terrorists. Surely the lessons of 9/11 tragedy were that the US must be humble enough to accept other countries opinions and stop being so bloody arrogant.
Right let's things into perspective.
1. I am no terrorist sympathiser all forms of terrorism are sickening even terrorist acts practised by states (e.eg President Allende's overthrow in Chile 1973 by the CIA)
2. Do conservatives care about human right abuses or only when it suits their argument (US support of Iraq when fightring Iran in the 1980's)
(Or support of General Pinochet free market excesses and death squads in Chile)
(What about the US training death squads in the 1980's in Central America elimating Communist suppoorters)
really I could go on and on
3. To all those who might just this call me a f***** up liberal
Sorry but when I see a country making the same mistakes agaian and again and people being blinded by right wing crap I just got to say something. It seems that only us on the left care about torture and human right abuses and those on the right are in denial.

Comments

Draginol

on May 17, 2004

The lesson of 9/11 is to try to eliminate those who would do great harm to us.

Japan attacked the United States in 1941 because it felt it had no other choice -- the US embargo on Japan had cut its supply of crude oil and scrap iron to basically nothing. The Japanese hoped that they could gain new sources of these raw materials in the Pacific and attacked the US to preemptively stop the US from interfering.

The lesson Americans drew from that what to defeat Japan. Now, I assume you would have argued that the US should have simply ended its embargo against Japan.

I care about what is good for the United States and its citizens as my primary objective and the rights and needs of other citizens as a secondary objective. If it took the annihilation of the middle east to stop terrorists from setting of atomic bombs in our cities, I would support annihilating the middle east. But I would much prefer to be able to stop terrorists through some less destructive way.

People like you will always find something to hate the US for. Do you realize how ridiculous it sounds when you argue that the US "had it coming" because the US helped overthrow Chile 30+ years ago? Do you think Bin Laden was somehow motivated by that? Do you even know why Al Qaeda started attacking the US?

Solitair

on May 18, 2004

Brad,
that is your lesson from 9/11, not necessarily THE lesson. Has it every occurred to you that you may be wrong? Hitler's lesson from WW1 was that Jews needed to be exterminatied. He was wrong. Has it occurred to you that there may be equally valid arguements from other people?

What is wrong with the believe of many muslims that American companies are trying to force them to change their cultural beliefs? Nothing. This is true. Without change to their cultural beliefs they will not embrace capitalism and American companies will not reap the benefits. America actively protects it's capitalistic multi-national companies and sees no problems with this. But maybe there is a problem.

Maybe the lesson from 9/11 is that it's time to respect other cultures and to ask if American multinational companies do that. America uses it's armed forces to protects its interests. In reality though, it's the interests of it's multi-national companies it is always protecting. Protecting Americans abroard, usually means protecting American businessmen abroard.

Paul.

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