Okay, I'm convinced - time to turn over the government to musicians because if we enjoy their music, then surely they know what's best regarding foreign policy. I think the judgment shown in letting rip with a fireworks display in a crowded broom closet speaks well of musicians everywhere.…
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26 - James Russell
I am saying, why does anyone think that just because someone is a celebrity, he/she knows what the hell they are talking about?
Well, why does anyone think that just because someone is a politician that THEY know what they're talking about?
27 - Mike Finley
Or a person with a free weblog account, for that matter.
None os us has good information, that being the famous first casualty of war. So we have to go with our experience and our judgment.
My sister has lived in France for 30 years. I have often disagreed with some of the French stands on issues, like they opposed Reagan bringing down the plane with the Ardea Lauro hijackers in it (who killed Leon Klinghoffer).
The French described Reagan's act as destabilizing; we saw them as mincing around in the presence of evil.
But this is not that. France has a conservative government. It believes in NATO (as do I) It has interests in Iraq (as do we).
I lack great info. But I trust France more on this issue than I do Colin Powell, who has told too many untruths in the past month, and badly tarnished his reputation.
To be anti-administration, of course, is to be anti-American to those who have evidently sworn fealty to the administration, anfd to bully all who disagree with it. Think Brownshirts. Think Michael Savage. Think riots in streets of palm Beach.
So be it, and we'll see what the voters say next time -- if this administration permits another election.
We are all living on borrowed time, and Ann Coulter is right, we can all die, even though we have mighty weapons.
28 - Dawn
Jim, I suggest as our northern neighbors you Canadians better mind your p's and q's, you never know when the American Cowboy might rise up and strike your Francy pants down with our iron fists of outrage.
All the punditry in the world cannot undue our moral obligation to kick Saddam Hussein's ass. The war on terrorism isn't over, and Iraq is country #1 on a long list of places I hope find small insignificant excuses to piss us off.
I (and believe it or not MOST AMERICANS) have grown weary of our country's giving nature to the rest of the world. Let's see what would happen should the U.S. decide to stop giving aid to the entire FUCKING world because we are sick of anti-American attitudes like yours. Just because God saw it fit to give you just enough brain cells for you to be able to sputter out words in order to make complete sentences, doesn't mean what you say is important.
Jim, I here and now say, you suck the biggest ass ever. I wish I could drive up to your worthless country and kick your ass, but not unlike your pussy French friends, you would just come out waving a white flag.
29 - Mike Finley
Finally, we've put emotion behind us.
Good show on Nightline about "just war" theology last night. Not coincidentally, fundamentalists approved of the moral rightness of a preemptive strike on Iraq, and mainstreamers saw it as unjustifed -- (organized) religion exactly mirroring what is happening in the U.S.
30 - Eric Olsen
Look, back to reality: Mike and Dawn are emotional, Jim and I are smartasses. I love everybody.
As to he facts: I see Iraq as the same war, I don't distinguish between Saddam and al Qaeda. Attacking Iraq will - and I realize this is contrary to intuition - not make us more unpopular in the Islamic world, but begin to turn public opinion around, if we follow through and stick around to make sure the country gets off on the right foot.
As far as internal struggle and tears: I am able to separate myself from the emotion to try to make the best decision based upon logic. Is this cold? Yes, but emotion foten obscures logic - emotion is, I believe, the entire foundation of the anti-war movement this time around because I sure can't see the logic.
The question is: is war better or worse than the consequences of non-war? I say non-war is much worse in this case, people will die either way and that is what the anti-war side refuses to acknowledge - people die as a direct result of Saddam Hussein's regime every day and they will continue to do so until he is gone.
I would wish to avoid personal attacks henceforth here, please. Thanks.
31 - Corinna Hasofferett
Maybe, maybe you all are masked Israelis? Reading all this heated and friendly debate I feel mostly at home, as this is the language of debate so often frequent in my country (especially on a "politica" discussion on TV and in the Knesset (Parliament).
But then I remember that back in 1976 in London during a scorching and most unusual heat wave, I had the same feeling. The British lost their cool and even the policemen were far from being polite. Everybody was swearing! So, it's all a question of weather...
In my Sodot book (sorry, still only in Hebrew) a Christian lover says to Anna, his Jewish girlfriend, "The Jews are always knowing all the answers, right?!"
To which she answers, "My name is Anna."
Then tears come to his eyes and he says, "Forgive me. I'm such an ignorant."
And indeed, every musician has a name, and so has every human being. Is it right to assume that the silent majority has no objection, that silence always signals acceptance? Not everybody knows to sing or prefers to do so in a choir alone. The beauty of humanity is that we are so versatile and different, that every human being has a unique personality. Would you like to live in a world where everybody walks in step with the Leader? This is the universe of Saddam Hussein, an universe we agree has no right of existence, not only in Iraq etc but also not in our Western democracies. When you use the "Do not supply hope to the Enemy" argument, the danger is that you might become the Enemy mirrored. It is an old saying that teaches, "Choose well your enemy, because you might become him." We cannot choose the enemy, but we still can choose not to adopt its arguments.
Regretfully, I must say that in my country this sort of arguments has gained much ground. Nothing is more persuasive than fear and hatred. So, we have stopped providing the Hammass with Hope. The result is that Despair aids them even more.
Life could have been so much better if we knew beforehand which is the right path to go. Since we do not know, and since to a large extent our ignorance is fabricated by The Leaders everywhere, even in our enlighted democracies, we must voice our gut feelings, we must balance the self assurance of our goverments with our huge question mark. Of course we are all living inside our skins, and a far away human life has no face. But what if Iraq was in Alabama, now, in 2003, with USA's present technology, not two hundred twenty seven years ago? Won't you rather ask, demand of your goverment to first try any diplomatic means possible, the UN, etc, and then hit only well defined military targets?
It has worked some twenty years ago when Israel hit the nuclear Iraqi plant. For sure it can be implemented today with the much higher technology USA has access to now.
By the way, while we are debating, there is a war going on in Iraq.
32 - Jim Carruthers
Eric, the fact you wake up every morning next to Dawn and are still alive is a tribute to your manhood.
That said, I would like to point out that I think regime change is good. In fact I would like to see changes in the autocracy in China, Pakistan, the USA, Russia, Canada, and all around the world. However, I don't think unilateral war is the way to do it. I don't trust Bush, he has no credibility. Open source government, now and forever.
33 - Eric Olsen
I wish all to speak their minds. I also want minimal damage to the Iraqi infrastructure because I want minimum possible damage to civilians and because we are going to have to rebuild everything we destroy - and much much more. Thanks C - you are a voice from somewhere very deep.
34 - Eric Olsen
Jim, whatever this war may be, it will not be "unilateral."
35 - Jim Carruthers
Jim, I here and now say, you suck the biggest ass ever. I wish I could drive up to your worthless country and kick your ass, but not unlike your pussy French friends, you would just come out waving a white flag.
Just to clarify, I spent seven years in the Canadian Navy as the only Cook / Combat Diver, which means I can kill your ass with both explosives and the salmon mousse.
The reason I think a war with Iraq is stupid is because I have first hand experience in the military. I don't want to serve in a stupid, pointless war and don't think anybody else should have to either.
As a point of reference, Canadians are stone cold killers when asked to be. The rest of time we are the nice quiet neighbours who never attracted any notice.
36 - Mike Finley
We in Minnesota try to get along with Canadians. Cross lines with them on fishing rights and you sleep with the walleye.
37 - Jim Carruthers
We in Minnesota try to get along with Canadians. Cross lines with them on fishing rights and you sleep with the walleye.
Not for nothing did David Cronenberg have a cameo in "To Die For" with Illeana Douglas skating over Nicole Kidman's corpse. Did I mention I have an autographed copy of his filmography?
Yes, you look so, how should we say, morbid?