The Cellar - View Single Post - Mesopotamia. Babylon. The Tigris and Euphrates, by Arundhati Roy

Undertoad · 04-05-2003, 09:34 AM

Everyone says the long-term plan is to transition the Iraqis to a government of their own choosing. If one wanted control over the country, wouldn't it be much simpler and more predictable to install the dictator of one's choice?

One often-quoted progressive argument is that the Arabic area is incapable of supporting Democracy, why make such a historical gamble by leaving everything in the hands of the people?

Supporting opposition movements: a lot of people say our failure to do that in 91 was the real mistake. But they say the regime at its current level wouldn't fall, due to how harshly dissidents have been treated. The kind of things we're seeing now reinforce that - a woman was hanged for just waving at coalition troops, for example. Stories that talk about how people welcome incoming troops say that the first thing villagers say is "welcome" and the second is a paranoid "uh, you guys are *really* gonna get rid of him this time, right?"

DU decay: the guy I linked to was actually asked about that point, and he covers it here:

http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/20...duranium.shtml

So that holds.

US supported the coup on Chavez: I await the links. No Indymedia or NY Times please.

04-05-2003, 09:34 AM	#48
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Everyone says the long-term plan is to transition the Iraqis to a government of their own choosing. If one wanted control over the country, wouldn't it be much simpler and more predictable to install the dictator of one's choice? One often-quoted progressive argument is that the Arabic area is incapable of supporting Democracy, why make such a historical gamble by leaving everything in the hands of the people? Supporting opposition movements: a lot of people say our failure to do that in 91 was the real mistake. But they say the regime at its current level wouldn't fall, due to how harshly dissidents have been treated. The kind of things we're seeing now reinforce that - a woman was hanged for just waving at coalition troops, for example. Stories that talk about how people welcome incoming troops say that the first thing villagers say is "welcome" and the second is a paranoid "uh, you guys are really gonna get rid of him this time, right?" DU decay: the guy I linked to was actually asked about that point, and he covers it here: http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/20...duranium.shtml So that holds. US supported the coup on Chavez: I await the links. No Indymedia or NY Times please.