At 10:32 PM 9/17/01 +0200 J. van Baardwijk wrote:
>>No. The Iraqi government is not a legitimate government.
>
>Oh, but it is! Every country in the world has recognised the Iraqi
>government as the legitimate government of Iraq. Most of the world may not
>be happy with Saddam Hussein; you may not be happy with Saddam Hussein. But
>that does not mean he is not the legitimate president of Iraq.
Jeroen, I greatly enjoy this discussion because it leaves me in the
position of being the left-wing liberal, standing up for justice and human
rights, and leaves you in the position of being the staid, right-wing,
conservative practicing realpolitik.
The Iraqi government is definitely the *recognized* government of Iraq, but
it is most certainly not *legitimate.*
Let's talk about Iraq.
Iraq is a country that engages in genocide against ethnic minorities within
its boundaries, including the us of poison gas.
Iraq is a country that is explicitly developing biological, chemical, and
nuclear weapons with the express intent of using them for a first-strike
against its enemies.
Iraq is a country that has repeatedly invaded its international recognized
neighbors, and continues to call for armed for struggle against its neighbors.
Iraq is a country that provides both material and psychological support for
armed terrorists, going even so far as to congratulate the attackers of
September 11th.
Iraq is a country that has no recognizable judicial system. Political
opponents of the government are regularly summarily executed by the
government without charge or trial.
Iraq is a country whose government rules without the consent of the
governed. There is no self-determination of governmental officials at any
level of government.
Iraq is a government that intentionally leaves its people impovershed,
lacking access to even the most basic amounts of food, water, and shelter,
while spending millions upon the construction of additional luxurious
palaces for Saddam Hussein.
Iraq does not permit the education of its people. There is no media that
is not controlled by the State. The only information that reaches the
people are governmental lies and propoganda, designed to brainwash the
populace with hate and violence.
Jeroen, almost any one of the above would be enough to declare the Iraqi
government to be illegitimate. Taken together, there is almost no basis
for even beginning to argue that the Iraqi government is legitimate. Its
not so much that the Iraqi government fails in a number of respects to be a
good govenrment, so much as it consciously and deliberately tries to be as
evil of a government as possible. It makes even no pretense of governing
with the consent of the governed, and indeed oppresses the governed in an
almost horrific manner.
The Iraqi government has no right to exist, based on its numerous crimes
against humanity (see above.) As such, the rest of the world would be
completely justified in brining the Iraqi government to justice, and
liberating the Iraqi people.
JDG
__________________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
"Freedom itself was attacked today, and Freedom will be Defended."
-U.S. President George W. Bush, 09/11/01
