[IMC Bombay] squeak up (against Saddam, not the war)
u ma
onebrowncookie at hotmail.com
Tue, 01 Apr 2003 04:06:28 +0000
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<P><BR>Sushma,</P></DIV>
<P>I understand completely that most people have picked a side in this conflict already and are sticking with it, no matter what anybody else might point out. But having said that, unfortunately I am still going to have to disagree with most of the points you brought up. </P>
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<P>The fact is I would be just as 'gung ho' about my position, if my own government was run by a dictator and his cronies for over 30 years, and an external coalition had to come in to remove it from power.</P>
<P>My country does not equal the bureaucratic Establishment at the capital that makes and breaks laws as they please. My country, and her population is far more important than that. Edward Abbey said it best, when he wrote that a true patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. </P>
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<P>I could probably wonder out loud, why the Iraqis you mention hadn't have gone back into Iraq to fight against Saddam earlier before this whole thing snowballed into a mess, and taken care of this problem by themselves instead of forcing the West to interefere, but I won't.</P>
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<P> ______________________</P>
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<P>Yes, the United States often acts unilaterally. Obviously, most Americans still haven't realised that a lot of times their opinions are treated with distaste, not because of who they are, but because of what they do. And that arm wrestling one's allies into submission with big budget media blitzes and economic aid isn't helping them either.</P>
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<P>However, we should remember that even though the world is a dangerous place, it is not particularly so, to the U.S or the industrialized West. Maybe not even for a middle-of-the rung power like India. We can solve our own problems. </P>
<P>It is the smaller nations : the Liberias, the Somalias, the Bosnias, the Tibets, the peace starved, democracy bereft countries of the Middle East that need a Big Brother to keep the peace. And while the US does not always do a particularly good job of playing a responsible super power/ beagle, the world would be a sorrier place if some other nation were to take its' place.</P>
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<P>Would any of us be more comfortable if China or Russia or Germany were the most powerful country in the world, instead of the US?</P>
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<P>I guess what I am trying to say is that as human beings, and not just holders of a royal blue coloured non-aligned passport, the larger issue we should be looking at IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, is not the mere sovereignty of a nation. There are times and matters where world opinion and action should and must supercede the authority of a country's internal governance. </P>
<P>Human Rights and Democracy are most definitely two such concerns, that we should all be be prepared to die (and hopefully live) for. </P><B><U>
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<P>For the record: </P>
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<LI>For those who think that this is purely about oil ( and of course, it is not entirely NOT about oil either) may I remind you about oil-free Bosnia in the 1990's, where the US led NATO troops to prevent the genocide of Muslim Serbs and Croats, and later stayed on, to help restore democracy. </LI>
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<LI>Some of the world's biggest, loudest anti-war, anti-Bush rallies take place in the United States. I haven't seen any anti-Saddam rallies happening in Baghdad for a long, long time now.Have you? </LI>
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<LI>I love them funky Shanti-Tshirts too :) <I>( Just not right now.)</LI></UL></I>
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<P>This is a long one. Thanks again for taking the time to read this through,</P>
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<P>Goodwill,</P>
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<P>Uma</P>
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