Aqua-Soft ForumsA Look Into The Future.
Bravo, Telmo if things keep going the way they r, that might be our not to distant future.
For those who are interested this animation does not belong to the Maroc Touch web site.
I suspect they have stolen it from the site of its original creator: http://www.idleworm.com/. There are other nice animation available on this web site.
Shaoolin
I agree with you Iceman.
If the US and UK had their hearts so firmly set in humanitarian intervention it would make sense not to give/sell dictators arms.
fissy
Originally posted by fissyb@Mar 21 2003, 10:08 PMI agree with you Iceman.
If the US and UK had their hearts so firmly set in humanitarian intervention it would make sense not to give/sell dictators arms.
fissy
The world isn't as simple as we all wish it could be. It isn't all black and white. The US looked the other way when Iraq was fighting Iran because frankly, the US government at that time probably saw it as payback through a proxy for the Iranian Revolution and the hostage taking of Americans.
Saddam is a perfect example of what happens when a dictator is ignored by the world. They become too powerful and too oppressive. UN sanctions should have been put on him a long time ago.
But now the US wants to clean up the mess they helped build and hopefully they do it right. Get rid of the regime, don't take the oil, help the Iraqi people with self-determination and get the heck out of the Iraq as soon as possible. However, I really believe that any attempt by the American or British to run Iraq even for a transition period will not be looked upon to positively by the Arab world and we may see even more terrorists.
One of the main reasons why Osama turned against the US was because the US had bases in Saudi Arabia. Think about it, how would the US feel if all of a sudden the Russians had bases here in the US? Not too happy... How much more resentment and hatred might be fomented when the US and British try to run Iraq, even though they want to do it for the "good" of the people. Now, I'm not giving just cause to Osama for doing what he does, but let's face it, when people are desperate, they'll do some crazy things.
Some hawks suggest that while the US is in there, they should take out Iran, Syria and kick out Hezbollah from Lebanon. What a dangerous proposition some of these guys are making. Already, this doctrine of first strike at the scale its being done is regrettably leading the US and the rest of the world into what may be more instability.
The French are trying to align the EU not just as an economic force, but a political and a military one as well that would oppose a free-wheeling US. Trust me, in a few years NATO will be gone and replaced with an EU force if the French got their way. I'd also like to point out that France isn't the innocent white dove of peace as they would like people to believe. It was France that sold Saddam his nuclear plants, that were subsequently destroyed by the Israelis, its France that has had illegal dealings with the Iraqi regime during the embargo and its French companies that reap the most benefits with their oil contracts in Iraq. No wonder the French are opposed to the US. But let's face it, the French have always been a thorn in America's side...
Do I like what they are doing? No. It will just lead to more instability. Do I think the US government needs to reign in its arrogance and muscle flexing? Yes.
Leaders like George Bush who aren't so smart (C average frat boy - he isn't a Bill Clinton) are extremely dangerous when they have people like Rumsfeld, Cheney and Ashcroft (among others) around. Rumsfeld has done so much more damage to American diplomacy with his comments and arrogant demeanor at his press conferences than anyone can imagine. The same with George's off the cuff comments like "you're either with us or against us" or "some people think I'm a cowboy who like to ride it alone. But the truth is, I like to ride with my posse." I believe that one was said to the German Chancellor Schroeder.
While I believe getting rid of Saddam and bringing freedom to the Iraqi people is imperative, I think the way the US has gone about it has been a diplomatic disaster.
Just my 2 cents worth... had to let it out... I'm a Republican but this administration is just pissing me off... thank God for Powell. Hopefully he stays and injects some sanity into the administration.
Actually the phrase "Those who are not with us are against us" belongs to Lenin.
Funny ( in a very sad way) to see it repeated with so much arrogance by an American "diplomat" in 2003. Who would have thought that at the end of the Cold War ?