[IMC Bombay] Single Brushstroke Judgement
yashodhara pawar
Yashodhara.Pawar at unilever.com
Fri, 4 Apr 2003 14:11:36 +0530
--20361047-24667-1049445697=:207
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Language: en-USA
Your arguments are valid. But, the point stays proven. This is ONE war, ONE BAD
decision. Democracies, like civilizations, extend for hundreds of years.
Do we, today, label Deutschland as a failed nation because of the world wars
and one madman? Do we not put it in perspective with the immense post war and
of course pre war developments in science and arts? Your entire email is about
the Iraq war that started like couple of weeks back. It is too damn easy to
ride the righteous rhetoric into the sunset. Nowhere am I implying the war is
right or morally justified.
Who give's a rat's ass about Saddam about Bush or Rumsfeld, when there are more
enduring symbols and human rights arenas being created. Again, I am not
justifying this war. People have died in wars since Eve got the apple, people
will continue to die in wars, justified or not. And on the same note, is there
such a thing as a justifiable war?
We dont know if democracy has failed. The US elections are yet to occur.
-----Original Message-----
From: john in bangalore [SMTP:john@doccentre.org]
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 2:04 PM
To: imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org; yashodhara pawar
Cc: nity68@vsnl.com
Subject: Re: [IMC Bombay] Single Brushstroke Judgement
What use is this exemplified democracy and personal freedom, if
the majority of the population can be made to believe that
1. Saddam Hussein is directly linked with 9/11,
2. that it is okay to bye-pass the U N, whose mandate is precisely
to secure the Universal Freedoms and Human Rights for all
peoples..,
3. the few persons who are deciding the life (death) of millions,
even though they have corporate connection benefitting from the
war, are more correct that the thousands of protesters on US
streets!
4. that these same few peole can threaten the rest of the world..
that if you are not with us, you are against us.. and most probably
part of the "Axis of Evil",
Does this exemplified Democracy extend to you being able to
convince Bush in any way to be more human, or does it just
means that he will spend more tax dollars, in more advanced
weaponry for targetted bombing, more tax dollars on propaganda,
more tax dollars on token relief, aid, so that these same pictures
can come to you to convinve you that "there is an element of truth,
in SAddam being a Bad guy and therefore even if so many people
have to die, after all we are doing a good thing by replacing
Saddam"
Do you believe that Replacing Saddam in this way, is going to get
a better Government for the people of Iraq? Or are we going to see
a continuing ground level war and instability in Iraq and the region.
From: "yashodhara pawar" <Yashodhara.Pawar@unilever.com>
To: "imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org"
<imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org>
Copies to: "nity68@vsnl.com" <nity68@vsnl.com>
Subject: [IMC Bombay] Single Brushstroke Judgement
Date sent: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 10:39:39 +0530
> I wanted to add in a quick opinion. I think this war is being used as a
> sole weapon to paint the US of A as the Bad Guy. While this is absolutely
> the truth, in a narrow sense, a more nuanced view allows one to admit that
> indeed the US has exemplified democracy and personal freedom on many
> levels.
>
> I ask not your inflamed , passionate retorts. While I dont support the war
> or even the ham-handed way the US conducted the diplomatic process
> preceding the war, I do acknowledge that the US is undermining itself and
> the many stellar freedoms and opportunities it offers for people from all
> over the world. An American today is likely to be a Zairian or an Chinese
> by birth. Americans, in totality, are in fact US. We, through our
> immigration and our back-breaking efforts in the land of opportunity, grab
> the right to vote for the leaders who make these decisions. I am not
> separating myself from the multitude of my nation's original peoples who
> have immigrated there.
>
> I lived in that country for a good 12 years before returning. Like the
> war, there were many testicularly stupid decisions the US government had
> made. But, the freedom the society offered for me to take massive risks,
> personal, professional, emotional are unparalleled. _My opinions.
> -Yashodhara
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nity68@vsnl.com [SMTP:nity68@vsnl.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 8:17 PM
> To: sushbee@hotmail.com; u ma
> Cc: imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org
> Subject: Re: [IMC Bombay] squeak up (against Saddam, not the war)
>
> hello uma:
> your offer of germany, russia or the US as a superpower leaves me
> wondering. that is like asking if i would prefer to get raped or murdered.
> Neither is my answer. as far as US doing a good job of being a big
> brother, please understand that US' interest in world democracy has
> nothing to do with democracy and everything to do with US' interests. US
> corporations are perhaps the most deadly when it comes to robbing
> democracy where it counts -- among the small, often disadvantaged
> communities, where they operate and whose resources they depend on.
>
> America's actions -- military or otherwise -- are blatantly dictated by
> and done in proxy for its corporations. You may have heard about the
> spraying of Monsanto's round-up (a deadly herbicide) over the fields of
> Colombia to wipe out cocoa crops. Despite complaints by farmers (not cocoa
> farmers) that they are poisoned by and injured by the poison spray, the US
> goes about business-as-usual. Even in war, we're not prepared to accept
> civilian deaths. How can we accept it when there is no war?
>
> It would be almost clicheic to remind you that America's business of war
> involves arming a tyrant, and later disarming the same guy once things get
> uncomfortable for USA.
>
> America may win this war. But it has forever lost its peace. If God really
> does bless America, i think that God is different (perhaps more powerful)
> from the one that is to take care of the rest of the world.
>
> i hope those of you who are willing to study the problems facing your
> country objectively need to understand that the world may live with a big
> brother, but that doesn't mean we like it or would thank america for it.
>
> Big brother, I hear, is cutting federal funding for schools and hospitals
> to feed its army. A wiser, more just approach would involve fighting the
> war against racism, against poverty, against illiteracy, against
> small-mindedness within the United States. As some great sould said: "It
> would be a great day when our schools had all the money they need, and the
> Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a new bomber."
>
> ciao, nity
>
> On 1 Apr 2003 at 4:06, u ma wrote:
>
> >
> > Sushma,
> > 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.
> >
> > 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.
> > My country does not equal thebureaucratic 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.
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > ______________________
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > 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.
> > 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.
> >
> > Would any of us be more comfortable if China or Russia or Germany were
> > the
> most powerful
> > countryin the world, instead of the US?
> >
> > I guess what I am trying to say is that as human beings, and not just
> > holders
> of a royal blue
> > coloured non-alignedpassport, 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.
> > Human Rights and Democracy are most definitely two such concerns, that
> > we
> should all be be
> > prepared to die (and hopefully live) for.
> >
> > For the record:
> >
> >
> > * 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.
> > * 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?
> > * I love them funky Shanti-Tshirts too :) ( Just not right now.)
> >
> > This is a long one. Thanks again for taking the time to read this
> > through,
> >
> > Goodwill,
> >
> > Uma
> >
> >
> >
> > Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months
> > FREE*._______________________________________________ IMC-Mumbai mailing
> > list
> IMC-
> > Mumbai@lists.indymedia.org
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-mumbai
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> IMC-Mumbai mailing list
> IMC-Mumbai@lists.indymedia.org
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-mumbai
>
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\viewkind4\uc1\pard\cf1\lang1033\f0\fs20 Your arguments are valid. But, the point stays proven. This is ONE war, ONE BAD decision. Democracies, like civilizations, extend for hundreds of years.\par
Do we, today, label Deutschland as a failed nation because of the world wars and one madman? Do we not put it in perspective with the immense post war and of course pre war developments in science and arts? Your entire email is about the Iraq war that started like couple of weeks back. It is too damn easy to ride the righteous rhetoric into the sunset. Nowhere am I implying the war is right or morally justified.\par
\par
Who give's a rat's ass about Saddam about Bush or Rumsfeld, when there are more enduring symbols and human rights arenas being created. Again, I am not justifying this war. People have died in wars since Eve got the apple, people will continue to die in wars, justified or not. And on the same note, is there such a thing as a justifiable war? \par
\par
We dont know if democracy has failed. The US elections are yet to occur. \par
\par
\pard\li360\cf0\protect\f1\fs16 -----Original Message-----\par
\protect0\pard\protect\fi-1440\li1800\tx1440\b From:\tab\b0 john in bangalore [SMTP:john@doccentre.org]\par
\b Sent:\tab\b0 Saturday, April 05, 2003 2:04 PM\par
\b To:\tab\b0 imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org; yashodhara pawar\par
\b Cc:\tab\b0 nity68@vsnl.com\par
\b Subject:\tab\b0 Re: [IMC Bombay] Single Brushstroke Judgement\par
\protect0\pard\protect\li360\f0\fs20\par
What use is this exemplified democracy and personal freedom, if \par
the majority of the population can be made to believe that\par
1. Saddam Hussein is directly linked with 9/11, \par
2. that it is okay to bye-pass the U N, whose mandate is precisely \par
to secure the Universal Freedoms and Human Rights for all \par
peoples.., \par
3. the few persons who are deciding the life (death) of millions, \par
even though they have corporate connection benefitting from the \par
war, are more correct that the thousands of protesters on US \par
streets!\par
4. that these same few peole can threaten the rest of the world.. \par
that if you are not with us, you are against us.. and most probably \par
part of the "Axis of Evil",\par
\par
Does this exemplified Democracy extend to you being able to \par
convince Bush in any way to be more human, or does it just \par
means that he will spend more tax dollars, in more advanced \par
weaponry for targetted bombing, more tax dollars on propaganda, \par
more tax dollars on token relief, aid, so that these same pictures \par
can come to you to convinve you that "there is an element of truth, \par
in SAddam being a Bad guy and therefore even if so many people \par
have to die, after all we are doing a good thing by replacing \par
Saddam"\par
\par
Do you believe that Replacing Saddam in this way, is going to get \par
a better Government for the people of Iraq? Or are we going to see \par
a continuing ground level war and instability in Iraq and the region.\par
\par
\par
\par
From: \tab "yashodhara pawar" <Yashodhara.Pawar@unilever.com>\par
To: \tab "imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org" <imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org>\par
Copies to: \tab "nity68@vsnl.com" <nity68@vsnl.com>\par
Subject: \tab [IMC Bombay] Single Brushstroke Judgement\par
Date sent: \tab Thu, 3 Apr 2003 10:39:39 +0530\par
\par
> I wanted to add in a quick opinion. I think this war is being used as a\par
> sole weapon to paint the US of A as the Bad Guy. While this is absolutely\par
> the truth, in a narrow sense, a more nuanced view allows one to admit that\par
> indeed the US has exemplified democracy and personal freedom on many\par
> levels. \par
> \par
> I ask not your inflamed , passionate retorts. While I dont support the war\par
> or even the ham-handed way the US conducted the diplomatic process\par
> preceding the war, I do acknowledge that the US is undermining itself and\par
> the many stellar freedoms and opportunities it offers for people from all\par
> over the world. An American today is likely to be a Zairian or an Chinese\par
> by birth. Americans, in totality, are in fact US. We, through our\par
> immigration and our back-breaking efforts in the land of opportunity, grab\par
> the right to vote for the leaders who make these decisions. I am not\par
> separating myself from the multitude of my nation's original peoples who\par
> have immigrated there.\par
> \par
> I lived in that country for a good 12 years before returning. Like the\par
> war, there were many testicularly stupid decisions the US government had\par
> made. But, the freedom the society offered for me to take massive risks,\par
> personal, professional, emotional are unparalleled. _My opinions.\par
> -Yashodhara\par
> \par
> -----Original Message-----\par
> From:\tab nity68@vsnl.com [SMTP:nity68@vsnl.com]\par
> Sent:\tab Tuesday, April 01, 2003 8:17 PM\par
> To:\tab sushbee@hotmail.com; u ma\par
> Cc:\tab imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org\par
> Subject:\tab Re: [IMC Bombay] squeak up (against Saddam, not the war)\par
> \par
> hello uma:\par
> your offer of germany, russia or the US as a superpower leaves me\par
> wondering. that is like asking if i would prefer to get raped or murdered.\par
> Neither is my answer. as far as US doing a good job of being a big\par
> brother, please understand that US' interest in world democracy has\par
> nothing to do with democracy and everything to do with US' interests. US\par
> corporations are perhaps the most deadly when it comes to robbing\par
> democracy where it counts -- among the small, often disadvantaged\par
> communities, where they operate and whose resources they depend on.\par
> \par
> America's actions -- military or otherwise -- are blatantly dictated by\par
> and done in proxy for its corporations. You may have heard about the\par
> spraying of Monsanto's round-up (a deadly herbicide) over the fields of\par
> Colombia to wipe out cocoa crops. Despite complaints by farmers (not cocoa\par
> farmers) that they are poisoned by and injured by the poison spray, the US\par
> goes about business-as-usual. Even in war, we're not prepared to accept\par
> civilian deaths. How can we accept it when there is no war?\par
> \par
> It would be almost clicheic to remind you that America's business of war\par
> involves arming a tyrant, and later disarming the same guy once things get\par
> uncomfortable for USA.\par
> \par
> America may win this war. But it has forever lost its peace. If God really\par
> does bless America, i think that God is different (perhaps more powerful)\par
> from the one that is to take care of the rest of the world.\par
> \par
> i hope those of you who are willing to study the problems facing your\par
> country objectively need to understand that the world may live with a big\par
> brother, but that doesn't mean we like it or would thank america for it.\par
> \par
> Big brother, I hear, is cutting federal funding for schools and hospitals\par
> to feed its army. A wiser, more just approach would involve fighting the\par
> war against racism, against poverty, against illiteracy, against\par
> small-mindedness within the United States. As some great sould said: "It\par
> would be a great day when our schools had all the money they need, and the\par
> Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a new bomber."\par
> \par
> ciao, nity\par
> \par
> On 1 Apr 2003 at 4:06, u ma wrote:\par
> \par
> > \par
> > Sushma,\par
> > I understand completely that most people have picked a side in this\par
> > conflict\par
> already and are sticking \par
> > with it, no matter what anybody else might point out.But having said\par
> > that,\par
> unfortunately I am still \par
> > going to have to disagree with most of the points you brought up. \par
> > \par
> > The fact is I would be just as 'gung ho' about my position, if my own\par
> government was run by a \par
> > dictator and his cronies for over 30 years, and an external coalition\par
> > had to\par
> come in to remove it from \par
> > power.\par
> > My country does not equal thebureaucratic Establishment at the capital\par
> > that\par
> makes and breaks \par
> > laws as they please. My country, and her population is far more\par
> > important\par
> than that. Edward Abbey \par
> > said it best, when he wrote that a true patriot must always be ready to\par
> defend his country against \par
> > his government. \par
> > \par
> > I could probably wonder out loud, why the Iraqis you mention hadn't have\par
> > gone\par
> back into Iraq to fight \par
> > against Saddam earlier before this whole thing snowballed into a\par
> > mess,and\par
> taken care of this \par
> > problem by themselves instead of forcing the West to interefere, but I\par
> > won't.\par
> > \par
> > ______________________\par
> > \par
> > Yes, the United States often acts unilaterally. Obviously, most\par
> > Americans\par
> still haven't realised that \par
> > a lot of times their opinions are treated with distaste, not because of\par
> > who\par
> they are, but because of \par
> > what they do. And that arm wrestling one's allies into submission with\par
> > big\par
> budget media blitzes and \par
> > economic aid isn't helping them either.\par
> > \par
> > However, we should remember that even though the world is a dangerous\par
> > place,\par
> it is not particularly \par
> > so, to the U.S or the industrialized West. Maybe not even for a\par
> > middle-of-the\par
> rung power like India. \par
> > We can solve our own problems. \par
> > It is the smaller nations : the Liberias, the Somalias, the Bosnias, the\par
> Tibets, the peace starved, \par
> > democracy bereft countries of the Middle East that need a Big Brother to\par
> > keep\par
> the peace. And while \par
> > the US does not always do a particularly good job of playing a\par
> > responsible\par
> super power/ beagle, \par
> > the world would be a sorrier place if some other nation were to take\par
> > its'\par
> place.\par
> > \par
> > Would any of us be more comfortable if China or Russia or Germany were\par
> > the\par
> most powerful \par
> > countryin the world, instead of the US?\par
> > \par
> > I guess what I am trying to say is that as human beings, and not just\par
> > holders\par
> of a royal blue \par
> > coloured non-alignedpassport, the larger issue we should be looking at\par
> > IN\par
> THIS PARTICULAR \par
> > SITUATION, is not the mere sovereignty of a nation. There are times and\par
> matters where world \par
> > opinion and action should and must supercede the authority of a\par
> > country's\par
> internal governance. \par
> > Human Rights and Democracy are most definitely two such concerns, that\par
> > we\par
> should all be be \par
> > prepared to die (and hopefully live) for. \par
> > \par
> > For the record: \par
> > \par
> > \par
> > * For those who think that this is purely about oil ( and of course,\par
> > it is\par
> not entirely NOT about \par
> > oil either) may I remind you about oil-free Bosnia in the 1990's,\par
> > where\par
> the US led NATO \par
> > troops to prevent the genocide of Muslim Serbs and Croats, and later\par
> stayed on, to help \par
> > restore democracy. \par
> > * Some of the world's biggest, loudest anti-war, anti-Bush rallies\par
> > take\par
> place in the United \par
> > States. I haven't seen any anti-Saddam rallies happening in Baghdad\par
> > for a\par
> long, long time \par
> > now.Have you? \par
> > * I love them funky Shanti-Tshirts too :) ( Just not right now.)\par
> > \par
> > This is a long one. Thanks again for taking the time to read this\par
> > through,\par
> > \par
> > Goodwill,\par
> > \par
> > Uma\par
> > \par
> > \par
> > \par
> > Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months \par
> > FREE*._______________________________________________ IMC-Mumbai mailing\par
> > list\par
> IMC-\par
> > Mumbai@lists.indymedia.org\par
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-mumbai \par
> \par
> \par
> _______________________________________________\par
> IMC-Mumbai mailing list\par
> IMC-Mumbai@lists.indymedia.org\par
> http://lists.indymedia.org/mailman/listinfo/imc-mumbai\par
> \par
\par
\par
\par
}
--20361047-24667-1049445697=:207--