Blogcritics Comments on Today In Iraq

Comment by Robert Paul Kennedy on Today In Iraq

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 04:49:17 EDT

My family is a military family and we believe in what we are doing. However, I feel that a great deal of countries dislike americans for many reason's. I think that the time has come for the U.S. to not involve ourseleves in any Foriegn affairs, and only take care of own Nation and our dedicated allies. I believe, if we develope alternative sources of energy, we could then introduce these new sources into our society at an alarming rate. Instead of spending money on war, we could be using the money to build and give these new sources of energy to all americans. In doing so, the U.S. will become even stronger in many way's. We will never need to depend on foriegn oil, we will have cleaner air, americans will have more money in they're pockets, and I believe the rest of the world might begin to start trusting us more. Oil would never be the worlds argument why we are involved in others affairs. I believe that when and if we leave Iraq, it will be a horriable mistake on both sides. When we finally leave Iraq, the country will go into civil war between many factions, and more innocent Iraqi people will die. Afterwards, people all over the world will blame the U.S. because of our early withdrawl. I believe when good men do nothing(U.S.) evil will prevail. I am also disappointed in many of our soldiers who complain about doing their duty. The U.S. Is one of the only volunteer countries and therefore I believe soldiers should just obey. When becoming a soldier, you are aware of what you are giving up, and know that one day you might go to war for no matter the reason. I understand that there are many reservations about war, but when entering the services you cant believe your just going to sit on the sidelines. ]]>

Comment by riff on Today In Iraq

Fri, 9 Apr 2004 23:38:11 EDT

debbie: "based on what?" how about the 300 or so men and children killed in fallujah after the mutilation of the US civilians? 300 for 4? excellents odds, just not for the people of iraq. Shark, that does sound better. well, better than getting capped in the ass by a bunch of white folk that be pokin' around where they not supposed to be pokin'. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:44:52 EDT

As does mine, and I should point out to others, if interested, that my convictions are not shattered. They are still there, just as strong. I don't see where it even looked like my convictions were crumbling truthfully. ]]>

Comment by Joe on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:40:54 EDT

Noted, either way, my point remains the same. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:31:55 EDT

I said surpress. I don't equate surpression with opression. As far as opression goes, we DO have it in this country, just not on the scale of the Islamic world. ]]>

Comment by Joe on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:25:47 EDT

Boom- Guilt or hurt feelings may make you feel bad, but I disagree that they constitute oppression. If your convictions are shattered by criticism, you might question the strength of your convictions rather than blame those you disagree with. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:09:37 EDT

Polls that I've read say the opposite, that most Iraqis have great hope for the future, 70% say that things will be better in a year. Because Americans will be gone and they will be in control of their government again, or so they think. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:08:45 EDT

Because Americans will be gone and they will be in control of their government again, or so they think. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:04:05 EDT

Debbie: Personally, I think we should level the sunni triangle, but I'm not running things. Nuke em all and the camel they rode in on. Here we go. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 14:02:18 EDT

Are you thinking that they couldn't possibly want any type of freedoms, they actually enjoy watching their loved ones be raped, tortured, and killed. I'm sure they all dream of being imprisoned for most of their life. As kids, I can just imagine them dreaming of the day that they too can be gassed to death in a mass murder of their entire towns, or maybe herded into a ditch and shot to death while the bulldozers warmed up so they could cover them efficiently. Is what you are thinking? No, Debbie, my line of thought does not even go along with that at all. Here you are trying to convince me that they are oppressed because they can't speak out against their government, yet when I try to speak out against my government, the response is that I am harming innocent soldiers. There is an attempt to surpress my voice with guilt rather than imprisonment. I am using the same freedoms that you want them to have. Their governments are based on their religions. I was raised a Christian. I still believe in God but have distanced myself from the church and do not believe in organized religion as anything more than a tame version of what they have over there. And I truly believe to establish a government founded on religious beliefs leads exactly to the type of life they have over there. But what do we have over here? We have judges who want to put their scriptures and their biblical commandments on courthouse walls for ALL Americans of all faiths to be subject to. They want references to their god to be ingrained in patriotic songs. They want their unproven concept of creationism to be taught as fact. They want to discriminate against other Americans and deny them certain civil liberties, rights and privileges because those individuals do not fit into their definition of what is 'biblically' right (gay marriage for example). They want to define this religious philosophy into the U.S. constitution. We are the most violent nation in the industrialized world. Our hate crimes against orientation, race and religion (anti-semitism, et. al.) all stem from religious interpretation. How about we fix our own problems first, before we go try to reshape the world into our own mold? Oppression is oppression. A platypus by any other name is just as fucked up. ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 13:28:46 EDT

The only ones strapping the bombs to themselves are the ones that have no hope for the future. What is your reasoning for why they are bombing western influences, rather than their oppressive government? ]]>

Comment by bhw on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 13:28:42 EDT

Some of that is because they are so oppressed that they are willing to become 'martyrs'....The only ones strapping the bombs to themselves are the ones that have no hope for the future. Some of them honestly believe they have no hope for the future. But some of them know better and murder other people anyway. And some are educated and are NOT poor or oppressed and still fly planes full of civilians into buildings full of civilians. Mohammed Atta comes to mind. ]]>

Comment by Debbie on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 13:21:37 EDT

"Because of course, they want to be like us." No, but I'm sure that they don't want to be tortured, imprisioned for disagreeing with their government, have their families tortured and killed because they criticized their government. Are you thinking that they couldn't possibly want any type of freedoms, they actually enjoy watching their loved ones be raped, tortured, and killed. I'm sure they all dream of being imprisoned for most of their life. As kids, I can just imagine them dreaming of the day that they too can be gassed to death in a mass murder of their entire towns, or maybe herded into a ditch and shot to death while the bulldozers warmed up so they could cover them efficiently. Is what you are thinking????? "Damn, can't they just see we are superior? Once we can convince them of that (by force if necessary), then maybe they will just see we are a misunderstood superpower." You obviously feel the need to be flippant in your remarks... "I take my earlier comment back. THIS is the silliest thing I ever heard. From what I understand of world news, they are not strapping themselves with explosives and blowing up their own oppressive government. Hello? What news do you watch? So when a young Palestianian girl blows herself and an Israeli bus up, she's really saying 'I want to be just like you!'" My, you are really full of yourself... No it has nothing to do with being like me. They strap bombs to themselves because they don't think that their current life is worth living. Some of that is because they are so oppressed that they are willing to become 'martyrs'....notice how the LEADERS never seem to want to be martyrs.... hmmm, funny isn't it. They all want to live, they surround themselves with citizens in an attempt to manipulate others into not taking them out.... Quite telling, they obviously don't think that their own life is that bad, but then again, they are the ones in charge.... imagine that. The only ones strapping the bombs to themselves are the ones that have no hope for the future. "Actually RJ, I was responding to Debbie's implicit point that, ONCE AGAIN, politics is wagging the military dog in a war." Shark, you are correct in this, politics should be put aside during times of conflict and the focus should be on the country as a whole and not on individual political parties...unfortunately that will never happen. ]]>

Comment by bhw on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 13:07:54 EDT

Or that she's so filled with hate, she wants to kill as many of the "enemy" civilians if she can. Plus, the bonus: heaven! I wonder how many male virgins -- er, raisins -- she gets. If she just preferred death, she'd kill only herself. Instead, her real goals are to 1) murder Jews 2) become a martyr. I'm not saying that the Palestinians don't have legitimate gripes about many things, but when they slaughter civilians, I turn my ears off. ]]>

Comment by Debbie on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 12:55:08 EDT

"I take my earlier comment back. THIS is the silliest thing I ever heard. From what I understand of world news, they are not strapping themselves with explosives and blowing up their own oppressive government. Hello? What news do you watch? So when a young Palestianian girl blows herself and an Israeli bus up, she's really saying 'I want to be just like you!'" No, she is saying that she prefers death to the current life that she is living.....duh, not to difficult to understand is it? ]]>

Comment by Shark on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 11:08:27 EDT

boomcrashbaby: "Why did we attack Iraq, who had no WMD, and who was not in a position to terrorize the U.S.?" Debbie: When were we able to 'prove' this....before or after we invaded? Why, after of course, so to use this as a reason against the war is just a bit dishonest. Two words: SCOTT RITTER. (Oh, wait, he was an opportunist, a traitor, and selling a book.) Nevermind. ]]>

Comment by Shark on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 11:05:57 EDT

Riff: "...if the US didn't go to war, iraq would've been better off with saddam." On a certain level, your point is valid. Powerful dictators often keep the ethnic and 'outlaw' tensions in check. What's better for the ol' Law & Order than a murderous facist with an iron fist?! (see Yugoslavia, post-Tito for more.) BTW: This makes the point that leaving Iraq to "containment" and focusing on Arghanistan would have been a much more effective way to fight the terrorists. As it is now, we've got TWO anarchist nations that are breeding terrorists like fruit-flies. Thanks, George! ]]>

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 11:02:46 EDT

boomcrashbaby: "Why did we attack Iraq, who had no WMD, and who was not in a position to terrorize the U.S.?" Debbie: When were we able to 'prove' this....before or after we invaded? Why, after of course, so to use this as a reason against the war is just a bit dishonest. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. You don't go try to prove a death row inmate is really guilty AFTER you kill him. Everyone, including the UN, thought that they did have WMD's.....What else could they think? What would any reasonable thinking person think? The U.N. I saw on tv didn't know if they had WMD. That is why there were inspectors, that is why people wanted time to find out if they were destroyed or not. This rationale of let's justify a war based on a suspicion is terrifying. boomcrashbaby: "I find it arrogant and presumptuous that we can even think, let alone speak out loud that democratizing Iraq is ultimately good for the U.S." Debbie: I disagree, if a Democracy is established in the region, it will give hope to citizens of the surrounding nations that they too, could have a democracy. Because of course, they want to be like us. This will put pressure on the governments to change, pressure from within, by it's own citizens. This would not only create an economic boon for the citizens there but also would give them an accurate idea of how America works. Damn, can't they just see we are superior? Once we can convince them of that (by force if necessary), then maybe they will just see we are a misunderstood superpower. If the oppression is removed from the citizens, they will have hope for the future. How many would then decide that 'strapping explosives to their bodies and blowing themselves up' is their best course of action? I take my earlier comment back. THIS is the silliest thing I ever heard. From what I understand of world news, they are not strapping themselves with explosives and blowing up their own oppressive government. Hello? What news do you watch? So when a young Palestianian girl blows herself and an Israeli bus up, she's really saying 'I want to be just like you!' Do you honestly not see how the anti-war protestors could have a negative impact on soldier's morale? Taken to the extent of the protests in Vietnam, yes. But I have yet to hear of anybody who is blaming the troops or resorting to the level of protests from that era. So I do not see it as comparable. Furthermore we are free to dissent in this country and perhaps we should train our troops to not only be able to survive an attempt on their life but some criticism of the administration as well. ]]>

Comment by Debbie on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 10:56:57 EDT

"funny, when you think of this: if the US didn't go to war, iraq would've been better off with saddam." based on what? Would this be from personal experience? Is this claim based on personal interviews, what was your polling sample? Polls that I've read say the opposite, that most Iraqis have great hope for the future, 70% say that things will be better in a year. Maybe we should poll the families of the victims that were uncovered in the mass graves, I'm sure they all want Saddam back. Shark, Personally, I think we should level the sunni triangle, but I'm not running things. ]]>

Comment by riff on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 10:22:57 EDT

funny, when you think of this: if the US didn't go to war, iraq would've been better off with saddam. aye, US troops have been killed in iraq. and US civilians. and a lot more iraqis. come to think of it, who's country is it? personally, i like the wall and land mines idea. ]]>

Comment by Eric Olsen on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 08:54:17 EDT

I think the current escalation of hostilities is THE critical phase of this. If we can get things under control now without widespread bombing, then a corner will have been turned. We are actually being helped by the fact that these groups are funtioning as groups, where they can be dealt with collectively. We must succeed in capturing and/or killing Al-Sadr and crushing his militia, and we must take control over Fallujah. ]]>

Comment by Shark on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 08:44:08 EDT

BTW: I'm willing to bet that before it's all over, we'll 'be forced' to bomb Iraq into the stone age. As the car transmission guy says in that old TV commercial: "Pay me now -- or pay me later." If we're going to do it, let's do it now. ]]>

Comment by Shark on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 08:40:36 EDT

E. phase 1: EXIT IMMEDIATELY. phase 2: Line the entire Iraq border with land mines, barbed wire, and a gigantic wall (built by Halliburton, of course). phase 3: Step back and watch. phase 4: Videotape the results from various vantage points along the wall: sell it on late night cable as "Iraqis Gone Wild". Give profits to families of the 9/11 dead and casualties from Bush's Blunder. ================ heh. Actually RJ, I was responding to Debbie's implicit point that, ONCE AGAIN, politics is wagging the military dog in a war. Example: Almost every 'expert' now says we need more troops, but the political fallout from that might lose Bush an votes or an election (?) I'm trying to avoid the ol' "Liberals Made Us Lose Another War" crap when this thing spirals further into a disaster resembling Vietnam. Twasn't "our" fault. PS: "BRING OUR BOYS HOME NOW!" ]]>

Comment by RJ Elliott on Today In Iraq

Wed, 7 Apr 2004 02:04:31 EDT

Shark: So, in your opinion, we just should nuke the fuckers? Or daisy-cutter major Sunni cities into rubble? Or MOAB Baghdad? Look, I know you don't think we should have been there in the first place. That's a reasonable opinion. But we ARE there. So what do we do now? A) Nuke 'em all. That'll get the French on board... B) Bomb civilians without any remorse. That'll win some fucking hearts and minds, the subhumans! C) Do what we're doing now, avoiding civilian casualities while going after extremists. or D) Run away like a French school-boy and scream "We're sorry! We're sorry!" Which is it? Or do you have an "E"? ]]>

Comment by Shark on Today In Iraq

Tue, 6 Apr 2004 10:02:52 EDT

re: Bombs, dust, and destruction Debbie: "That does tend to make it easier to win, but we are trying to take the high road and not 'bomb them into dust', this is why we are experiencing a higher mortality rate." Gee, kinda sounds like politics is restraining an all-out military victory. Hmm, when was the last time we heard that? mmm... lemme think... Oh yeah, VIETNAM! ]]>