Well, I'm on the same page with you there, Reg, and you can read my posts on what I thought about the motives for our involvement in Iraq.
I know we're on the same page man, I was trying to support the argument, yours and EEE's, that the whole story on this "WAR" stinks. I'm not looking to start a beef about Israel. The reason no one brings up what I did...the media, politicians, etc...in any sort of meaningful way, that pointing to UN resolutions is phony because we ignore the violations as we see fit, is because throwing Israel on the table as an example is taboo...in a big way.
I've mentioned Israel twice on this board and both times to try to illustrate why the supposed facts about this war stink. Both times triggered responses that ignored my point and instead went for painting me and the ideas presented as "having issues with Israel"...you guys have been reading my stuff for years here now and this is what you think of me? Come on man, that ain't where I'm coming from.
The thing is any real discussion of our situation in the Middle East and this hokey idea of "creating a stabilization point" must include Israel...no one in the world actually believes we can create a stabilization point using Iraq as a base...that's like balancing 64 elephants on the head of a pin...ain't real, ain't ever gonna happen...but and this is what's interesting Einstein could probably turn the elephant thing into a mathematical proof...that means it's an interesting theory but don't expect it to actually happen. This is the sort of half truth our government likes to use when they feel it works for them. When people wonder why other governments react as if we've gone insane this is why...our government says absolutely crazed stuff to explain what they're doing.
So, why did we point to UN violations as reason to attack Iraq...because it suited our political ambitions at the time...it's sort of a smoke screen...a half truth...one we could use against the UN...you noticed it didn't work when we tried to sell it to the UN...that's because they knew we were full of what makes the grass grow. You say to America, "Hey listen, Iraq has violated 16 UN resolutions!"...well even Ted Kennedy ain't gonna stand up and say "Yeah, so...Israel has violated 68." because that's political suicide. So, people in the US know that Iraq violated 16 UN resolutions...they don't know we've been ignoring UN resolution violations for like 50 years...so it's an easy sell...people think "Oh, oh, oh...violations, they've got violations...16 times...we've got to teach them a lesson!"
The fact is, compared to the United States the UN has no power and we just use them to suit our own needs. It backfires now because when we really want help in Iraq...it's a whole new ballgame there now...the governments from other countries look at us like we're nuts...cause we just finished pissing all over them. But, because so much of the world also ties it's wagon to the financial success of the US...well, we can wait them out and they will eventually come around...sure more people, soldiers, whoever will die...but we'll get what we want. So I think it's important that we try to see the whole picture when we're evaluating this stuff.
It really doesn't paint a pretty picture of any politicians...Republican or Democrat...because what it shows ultimately is that none of them will actually level with us...they want their jobs too. So, they may say they want to end the war because they want to bring our boys home...very nice and people like to hear this...they may say 87 billion is too much money to spend on this...very nice too and it appeals to a certain segment of the voting population...these are simple ideas we can take to heart and relate to but they really aren't addressing the items that really say something about what's happening because...well...think about that for a second...
There's no doubt about the pick and choose aspect of UN data that was used vs Iraq; I'm well aware of that.
Well, this is my point. It's so obvious that all the information used to justify what we've done was sorted, washed, and dryed and presented to the American public in a nice neat, freshly pressed, clean as the mountain air smelling package. How anybody could excuse this, or mistake it for anything other than what it is...well, I'd say it's hard to believe but I guess it's not...because our politicians, our media (most of it), nobody really goes out of their way to present us with all the facts. So, I really can't blame Marc, or Pat, or anybody else for thinking whatever they think.
I'm not name calling. I'm not yelling about hating anybody. We can come here and talk about this stuff and that's what we're doing. I think that's what's important. Some of the discussions here go farther and get more in depth than a lot of other places where politics are discussed...it's better than talk radio because you get to complete your thoughts. So, let's keep talking about it...who knows maybe if nothing else we'll all understand eachother a little better.
Reg
