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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bilow who wrote (105422)	7/16/2003 12:10:41 PM
From: frankw1900	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Balls. You're claiming in effect that US folk are most afraid when they're safest and that somehow this is the primary motivation for the US's invasion of Iraq. This doesn't fit the risk taking behaviour of very large numbers of the population - the vast majority of it at some stage in their lives. It doesn't fit US history. Your reasoning doesn't fit my observation of the US population which is, if they fear one thing in particular, it's not death, but decrepitude. Face it. You don't like the rationale for the war - which, in crude terms is, "drain the swamp where the evil alligators are and shoot 'em when they become visible. The biggest evil alligator is the Iraq Baath regime and although it's no screaming hell, it's more solid than the mullocracy in Iran or the corrupt theocratic Saudis, and has been causing the US grief for a decade." Advantages include: Allowing the US to put pressure on the failed regimes around Iraq to drain their own swamps, or be drained. Allowing surrounding countries to reform without interference from Iraq. Allowing surrounding countries to reform without military interference from Iran. Allowing the US to pursue the terrorists who almost destroyed its government and defence administration from a ME base. Allowing the US to vigorously promote democracy in a country next door to Iran which population is showing ardent desire for democracy - promote political headroom for folk who don't have any. Allowing Saudi Arabia to go through its Afghanistan-under-the-Taliban stage, if it has to, without screwing world oil supplies at the margin. This has implications far beyond the US. This may or may not be a crappy rationale but you can't make the case it is the result of fearfulness ("cowardice") on the part of US people or their government. It's far more likely a belated realization the ME population has been relegated to the margins of modernity for too long and something has to be done about it. It's that US desire to fix things. I know you don't agree with this either. But, again, dropping to name calling and insults ("idiots," "cowards") as you have lately isn't an argument and doesn't have legs, except in the Buchananite corner where you're preaching to the converted. It's your propaganda attempt to smear those who believe in non-isolationism analogous to that of some leftish folk who call Bush and his supporters nazis, etc. You figure if you hit them in their self image they'll keep quiet.