Well said Gord. For the record, I have never supported Saddam Hussein. I don't today, when he does indeed oppress the people of Iraq--but I also didn't in the 1980s when the US saw him as a bulwark against the Islamist revolution in Iran and actively helped him develop chemical and biological weapons programs (remember, back when Donald Rumsfeld was Reagan's special envoy to Baghdad?). I don't support Osama bin Laden--but I also didn't in the 1980s when the US helped train and arm the al-Quaeda network to fight a guerrilla war against Soviet troops (incidentally also training the Iraqis in many of the tactics they use today).
Opposing war does not mean supporting bloodthirsty tyrants. Blind allegiance to a flag--any flag is stupid. The logic that says you're either with us or against us and that we should follow the US because that's the position of the current administration is idiotic. By this logic, the American revolution would have never happened, nor many another necessary social upheaval since they went against the grain of power and orthodoxy. I'm also curious as to what the 'Free World' standing with America is. The last time I checked, there were massive protests within the US, within the UK (and a serious political crisis for Blair and Straw--down to the constituency level), Italy, Germany, France, Canada, India, and many many other places. But I am sure the support of theocracies in Quatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan represent the 'free world' and the expression of 'true peace' (as opposed to the falsity held by millions across the world). On Tue, 25 Mar 2003, Gordon Ross wrote: > WAR IS PEACE > FREEDOM IS SLAVERY > IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH > - Orwell, 1984 > > Has anyone read this book recently? Seriously. I picked it up the other > day, to read it again -- just felt the time was right. First time I've > read it since university. It's frightening some of the stuff in there. > Frightening because of its relevance these days. > > You're either with us or against us, right? I love how the rhetoric of > the Bush regime has managed to polarize everything into a black & white > (no racial undertones there Pablo), good vs. evil debate. How can anyone > say they are against the eradication of tyranny? And yet, somehow, if > our government decides not to support the USA by deploying Canadian > troops to invade a foreign country who has not explicitly threatened or > harmed us (different than identifying them as a "threat" or a "risk" in > the industrial-military lingo du jour), we are seen to be yankee-hating > dictator-sympathizers. > > How many people are going to agree that Saddam is a good guy and should > be left in power in Iraq? Uh, not many. Since when did that become our > job to knock of bad guys in countries half-a-globe away? > > How many people think that a full-blown military invasion under the > banners of Freedom, Courage, Peace, apple pie, Democracy, and all things > good about consumerism and the "free world" is a good thing? > Categorically? Yes or No. For or Against. Us or Them? Can you take an > issue like this and give it any kind of fair treatment by saying you are > either for or against? > > Or am I just a liberal/lefty/pinko subjective relativist who is clearly > an Iraqi sympathizer for even thinking such thoughts? > > And what exactly does "True Peace" mean anyhow? I mean really. Not to be > confused with the other peace (you know, the False one). > > Gord. > > > > > Leah Costello wrote: > > > > Hope to see some of you there! > > > > Freedom takes courage! > > > > Stand With America and the Free World > > > > Against Terrorism and for True Peace! > > > > RALLY > > > > FOR > > > > FREEDOM > > > > > > > > SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2003. > > > > 2:00 PM > > > > American Consulate > > > > 1095 West Pender St, Vancouver BC > > > > > > > > > > > > Those who disagree with the official position of the Canadian > > government on the war in Iraq are asked to join us for a peaceful > > rally to show support for American efforts to eradicate tyranny. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Please bring American and Canadian Flags if possible. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sponsored by FRIENDS OF AMERICA > > > > For further Information, please contact us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Name: Rally for Freedom.rtf > > Type: WINWORD File > > Rally for Freedom.rtf (application/msword) > > Encoding: quoted-printable > > Download Status: Not downloaded with message > > ___________________________________________________________ > FoIB Mailing List - Bits, Analysis, Digital Group Therapy > http://www.ianbell.com > ___________________________________________________________ FoIB Mailing List - Bits, Analysis, Digital Group Therapy http://www.ianbell.com
