Tuesday, March 04, 2003
The Pandavox (FULL ARTICLE) writes about the Not in My Name Crowd:
It also made me wonder how the anti-war crowd will feel after the war is over. I have no doubt that by this time next year, Saddam will be dead and the nation of Iraq will be free and democratic. Will the anti-war set be bitter about this? Will they long for the good old days when Saddam ruled with an iron fist and dissent "disappeared?" What will happen to all those nifty "blood for oil" slogans when they realize the American money spent on Iraqi oil is lining the pockets of (shock! shock!) Iraqi businesses and workers?
I, for one, am looking forward to those days. And if people want to chant slogans while defending a sitting tyrant (and no, George Bush doesn't count -- I know it sounded cute the first couple of hundred times you shouted it), I say to them: not in my name.
NOT IN MY NAME EITHER!! I saw a similar guy at a subway station, going on about how America deserved what happend on September 11th. I'm glad he is in the minority, especially in this city (new york).
In a partially related stream of thought ( I don't feel like creating a new post) the pro-war crowd including at times myself, have used the argument that the Iraqi people are living a tortured existence under the boot of tryany and therfore should be liberated by a war. I have reflected on this statement. It is true that the Iraqi's live oppressed lives with no political freedom under a dictatorship. But many Iraqis have become content enough with the status quo to quietly live under tyranny and go about their lives.
Just because you live under a dictatorship does not mean your life is Hell. As long as you don't speak against the government the government probably won't not mess with you (torture then kill you).
Some people can live happily under dictatorship, like a benevolent dictatorship. I am in no way saying Saddam Hussein is a benevolent dictator but as long as you don't do anything against him, you could probably live a decent life. If the liberation of Iraq may cause thousands or more of innocent Iraqi civilains to die, then I can see how many Iraqi's are worried and may not be exactly looking foward to a war. This is a major reason other arab people don't want a war. Many in the Arab world and around the world believe Iraqi's are better off living under Saddam than dead. I think most Iraqi's would love to see their country liberated but at the same time self-preservation and the safety of thier loved ones is probably even more important. Salam in Baghdad has got me thinking about this more and more.
Of course there a plenty of Iraqi's currently imprissoned, being tortured or on the run that are really really hoping for a war today and not tommorow. But the ordinary Iraqi probably wouldn't mind no war and having the sanctions lifted so they can go about thier every day lives with more stuff. I wish they would overthrow Saddam themselves in a bloodless coup. But Saddam has been very efficient in purging the slightest glimmer of opposition before if starts. Rule by fear.
Mass civilian casualties does have meaning, even if these casualties are self inflicted by Saddam Hussein during a war. They would not have happened if there was no war at all.
Just trying to give the pro-war camp some prespective they might be trying to ignore.
It also made me wonder how the anti-war crowd will feel after the war is over. I have no doubt that by this time next year, Saddam will be dead and the nation of Iraq will be free and democratic. Will the anti-war set be bitter about this? Will they long for the good old days when Saddam ruled with an iron fist and dissent "disappeared?" What will happen to all those nifty "blood for oil" slogans when they realize the American money spent on Iraqi oil is lining the pockets of (shock! shock!) Iraqi businesses and workers?
I, for one, am looking forward to those days. And if people want to chant slogans while defending a sitting tyrant (and no, George Bush doesn't count -- I know it sounded cute the first couple of hundred times you shouted it), I say to them: not in my name.
NOT IN MY NAME EITHER!! I saw a similar guy at a subway station, going on about how America deserved what happend on September 11th. I'm glad he is in the minority, especially in this city (new york).
In a partially related stream of thought ( I don't feel like creating a new post) the pro-war crowd including at times myself, have used the argument that the Iraqi people are living a tortured existence under the boot of tryany and therfore should be liberated by a war. I have reflected on this statement. It is true that the Iraqi's live oppressed lives with no political freedom under a dictatorship. But many Iraqis have become content enough with the status quo to quietly live under tyranny and go about their lives.
Just because you live under a dictatorship does not mean your life is Hell. As long as you don't speak against the government the government probably won't not mess with you (torture then kill you).
Some people can live happily under dictatorship, like a benevolent dictatorship. I am in no way saying Saddam Hussein is a benevolent dictator but as long as you don't do anything against him, you could probably live a decent life. If the liberation of Iraq may cause thousands or more of innocent Iraqi civilains to die, then I can see how many Iraqi's are worried and may not be exactly looking foward to a war. This is a major reason other arab people don't want a war. Many in the Arab world and around the world believe Iraqi's are better off living under Saddam than dead. I think most Iraqi's would love to see their country liberated but at the same time self-preservation and the safety of thier loved ones is probably even more important. Salam in Baghdad has got me thinking about this more and more.
Of course there a plenty of Iraqi's currently imprissoned, being tortured or on the run that are really really hoping for a war today and not tommorow. But the ordinary Iraqi probably wouldn't mind no war and having the sanctions lifted so they can go about thier every day lives with more stuff. I wish they would overthrow Saddam themselves in a bloodless coup. But Saddam has been very efficient in purging the slightest glimmer of opposition before if starts. Rule by fear.
Mass civilian casualties does have meaning, even if these casualties are self inflicted by Saddam Hussein during a war. They would not have happened if there was no war at all.
Just trying to give the pro-war camp some prespective they might be trying to ignore.
