You know, I had a HUGE rant all written, and then I killed it. I'm going to keep it simple.
130 000+ Kurds killed, with American weapons, American money, American satellite imagery, and American/world complicity(that means that you were in on it. Yes you were, cuz the world knew about it and NO ONE, including your righteous government, did ANYTHING ABOUT IT. To make it worse, you sold Iraq weapons TO MAKE MONEY). Yet now those 130 000 people are an excuse for war???What about doing something about it BEFORE they were all killed???
If not going to war was an option, the US would take it: Why is war an option? The small stockpile of weapons Saddam Hussein may have? He can't use them against you, he has no way of hitting your country. Of course your government is worried about innocent civilian deaths, but then it wasn't 10-15 years ago, was it? NO, it wasn't. The terrorist threat? There's ZERO proof that Hussein and Bin Laden have ANYTHING to do with each other, and a lot of evidence, including their respective religious differences, that they in fact DO NOT WANT to have anything to do with each other. The recent Bin Laden tape said NOTHING about them being allies, but it did reiterate Bin Laden and Al-Quaeda's hatred of the West. The fact that terrorists could get a hold of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, then plan some kind of horrible attack on the US? Fine, I'll give you that one, but remember this: Russia has the biggest stockpile of weapons grade nuclear material, and it's under pretty crappy security. They barely pay their scientists, when they do at all, and to make it worse the US pledged and signed off on millions of dollars worth of disposal help, to get rid of that material. Then, the US reneged on its commitment, leaving tons of nuclear material almost ripe for the taking. Didn't know that did you? Is the US planning on blowing the shit out of Russia to destroy a threat from weapons of mass destruction anytime soon? Don't think so...
Do many people hate America because of its capitalistic, imperialistic tendencies? Yes. Am I one of them? Not really. I don't like how the system works, I think it could do more to serve the needs of more of the earth's population, and I think it could do more to let local cultures develop. But do I hate it? No, that would be stupid and hypocritical of me. It's that system that has brought me 99% of the opportunities I have today, including the opportunity to go skiing 3-4 days a week(when I'm not injured, of course), not to mention the rights I enjoy, including the right to bitch about it wherever I want, whether it be on a street corner, in a lecture hall, or online @ newschoolers.com. It's also that capitalistic/imperialistic system that gives me so many problems/opportunities to make things work better in the future, and I'd like to believe that I can make a difference in regards to those.
Just so you know, NATO didn't side to say 'we're going to war', they sided to say 'yes, we are going to put up forces to protect Turkey, one of our allies who will most likely get attacked if there is a war'. And soon to be UN action? Says who? There are 3 countries with vetoes that are vociferously oppose war with Iraq, that being France, Germany, and China. As long as one of those countries is willing to veto any UN resolution, there will be no UN led action on war in Iraq.
Last thing: Am I human? Yes I am. I know that 130 000+ Kurds were murdered, 10-15 years ago, with the complicity of the world, and the US government, in particular. I also know that the UN has imposed such crippling sanctions on Iraq that it has DEVOLVED into a country that is now worse to live in than it was before the first Gulf War. Saddam Hussein can't feed his people if he can't import food, can he? The iraqi hospitals cannot help people if they aren't allowed to import medicine because it could have a dual purpose(ie used for making weapons OR curing disease/helping in medical procedures), and finally, I realize that another war will RUIN Iraq and its people, and that much like in Afghanistan, the US government will almost abandon them once they are done 'rooting out evil'(I believe that's a direct Bush quote), instead of staying in like they claim they will now, to set up a regime more in touch with US needs. I'd write more, but I have other things to do, and I'm starting to feel like I'm just not making any difference at all.
Message to: Jib_This
Message from: NewO
Date Sent: 2003-02-11 17:33:01
ur a dumb shit
'i'm not too bright sometimes, when i turn my mind off school'
Nolan, after I reminded him of what a verb in the past tense was.