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Jill,
I think your lengthy posting about the content of this list was
well-intentioned, but as a number of responses have indicated, problematic for
some of us.
Just a few things I wanted to point out.
Regarding your statement that "Baghdad, for the past 30 [1975-2005] years,
was THE hotbed of terrorist support." It is my understanding that in
February 1982 the State Department (under the Reagan Administration) removed
Iraq from its list of states supporting international terrorism. And then
there's the (in?)famous meeting of current Defense Secretary Rumsfeld with
Saddam Hussein in which areas of common interest were discussed.
You also mention that Iran and North Korea would love to destroy us,
although you do imply maybe the driving force in North Korea is their unstable
leader. Statements like that bring to mind other statements, usually
made by those on the far right and irresponsible talk show types, along the
lines that we should bomb the offending countries into smithereens.
Sadly tens of millions of innocent individuals, most of whom have suffered
hugely under the evil leaders who are perceived to, or actually, threaten us,
would die or suffer even more enormously. So a caution to avoid
talking as though countries or their peoples are necessarily the ones posing the
threats per se.
Regarding Iraq as a healthy country, I do not see it as a healthy
development that Iraq's leadership is thumbing it's nose at us by entering into
military relationships with Iran, who you'll remember was one of George Bush's
Axis of Evil and in his words, a leading sponsor of terrorism.
Finally, your quote from Rush included some high-minded words.
However, I see a great deal of dissonance between those words and the hateful,
fear mongering, words that too often spew from his mouth. Interesting that
he speaks of "God-given freedom." Well, as a sometime agnostic, I
can't say what God's role has been in our freedoms. What I can say,
and say unequivocably I think -- as someone who has served during the Vietnam
era and the descendant of many generations of soldiers -- is that our freedoms
were earned in significant part by the blood and dedication of many brave
individuals. It certainly angers me to no end to hear the
pontifications of the "chicken hawks" who support the Iraq war and question the
patriotism of anyone who questions Bush & Co.'s motivations or competence in
waging this war. (Sorry, I just had to vent on that last one.)
Bob
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