> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Gautam Mukunda
... > You would have to believe that they invaded Iraq > knowing that, after the country was defeated, it would > be revealed that there was nothing there. No. It's not a Boolean. They could have some evidence and fake or exaggerate other evidence. There's quite a difference between having *no* evidence and having some, but adding to it by fabricating, presenting unsubstantiated or exaggerated evidence. I don't hear anyone claiming that all of the evidence was invented -- that's a straw man. > You would have to believe either that every other > government in the world was complicit in the deception > (despite, in many cases, opposing the war) _or_ that > the Administration was somehow able to trick every > other government in the world. Trick? How about intimidate, which doesn't require any action, necessarily? How many nations dare stand up to the only superpower left? That's a danger in being in that position. This is not about facts, it's about politics, which I have to believe you really do understand, given your background. > You would have to believe that after expelling the > inspectors in 1998 Saddam Hussein _chose_ to destroy > the WMD that he already had, and then chose not to > tell anyone, maintaining the sanctions on his own > country. > > You would further have to believe that, after > expelling the inspectors, Saddam made no efforts not > to reconstitute them, despite his decades-long > attempts to acquire them, and his demonstrated > willingness to use them. These "have-to-believes" are only necessary if one accepts the straw man above. > how can you > believe that the Administration lied its way to the war? There's quite a difference between a deception in support of a war and a war that is based entirely on deceptions. Again, I'm not familiar with anyone who is arguing the latter, other than some nameless folks I've seen protesting, who claim it was all about oil. Nick _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
