Currently, Boston MA. And for the record, I am not for a war. I am a Navy brat, and am against placing "our boys" in harms way without a really good reason. I don't know what I am for, but I know I am _against_ Saddam Hussein. He's mean. If international agreements are ever going to mean anything again, this person in this case at this time must be held accountable. If not, then international and UN agreements are not worth the paper they are printed on.
If we do end up at war with Iraq, I would personally like to see that no one who was in the secret "energy planning" meetings with the VP get control of the oil fields. But of course, they will. And we won't even know. And that is really the main reason for the French and Russian opposition. They currently control the contracts on those fields. But even if the _real_ reasons are wrong, the _public_ reason is justification enough. I truly believe, though, that much of the tough talk from Bush is bluff. Trying to get things to move by threatening to blow them up. And we can afford to play bad cop. Everyone expects us to be that way. Which allows South Korea and Russia to go in and _talk_ to the crazy North Koreans. Or gets the Arab world to go to Saddam and try to reason with him. Which they wouldn't do unless they _believed_ he was ready to light the fire. Now, if Gel or will@hothorse said these things, I would have to defend the US against all comers. Doesn't make much sense (even to me), but criticism from inside good. Napster bad. Sorry. Criticism from outside bad. Still a bit unclear about it all, Jerry Johnson >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02/03/03 04:59PM >>> Jerry, Where are you from? Again, just trying to get a perspective on thoughts in different parts of the world. Andy -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 3:28 PM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: 1 View of USA from UK Gel, Do you remember the Gulf War? Do you remember who surrendered? Do you remember what agreements they signed to stop the shelling? Those are the sticks being used to go after Iraq. They have violated the agreements they signed which made the Coalition stop attacking them. They started it. They agreed to the rules. Now they are (going to) pay the consequences for violating them. Why does everyone forget these simple facts? Do they mean nothing? Do the agreements not count, suddenly? Should there be no penalties for violations? North Korea on the other hand does not have such a sword hanging over their heads. The only agreements they signed were economic in nature. We can threaten to starve them out, but they may not notice. But they are definitely touchy. Say the wrong thing, and they might launch an attack. They beat us back to a tie the last time we tangled (with help, but still). Completely different situation. Jerry Johnson >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 02/03/03 04:15PM >>> Not just Europe. Other parts of the world share this view too. Excesses in policy decisions as a result or using 9/11 as an excuse. That the war on Iraq is more for Oil than anything else, especially in light of North Korea's posturings. If Bush was to be true on his rhetoric N. Korea should get a smack down before Baghdad. The fact that you can't talk out against the war or anything else that Bush is doing because that makes you either unpatriotic, or with the terrorists..or just plain stupid. There's truth in almost everything this reporter is saying. But as with most things..it can be rebutted..debated..ad inifinitum. I tend to agree with this point of view , however. Unless the US has some secret evidence that shows that there is some major plot afoot aided and abetted by Iraq..or that they have nuclear/biological weapons and are ready to launch..then I don't see how they can attack without a UN Resolution. And if they say f*** the UN..then why all the posturing to get a resolution in the first place? -Gel -----Original Message----- From: Andy Ousterhout [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] I am curious from those of you in the UK and other parts of Europe how widely this view is held. Andy The [London] Times January 15, 2003 OPINION The United States of America has gone mad by John le CarrT America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War. The reaction to 9/11 is beyond anything Osama bin Laden could have hoped for in his nastiest dreams. As in McCarthy times, the freedoms that have made America the envy of the world are being systematically eroded. The combination of compliant US media and vested corporate interests is once more ensuring that a debate that should be ringing out in every town square is confined to the loftier columns of the East Coast press. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
