I have supported and actively support your right to speak. Even if I disagree with what you have to say, I will defend your right to say it. Thank you for being so frank.
Much of what you say about the U.S. in the past is true. Some of it takes liberties with the facts in history. (For instance, in Desert Storm there was no U.N. mandate to eliminate Sadaam. The coalition was there ONLY to throw the Iraqis out of Kuwait - period. We ATTEMPTED to help the Iraqis rebel against Sadaam after the war, but he chose to unleash his armies on his own populace. Hence the creation of the "no fly zones.")
To support much of what you say... It can be summed up by a quip from Teddy Roosevelt when describing a dictator in South America
He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch
While you may see what's being attempted in Afghanistan and Iraq as efforts by the U.S. to reclaim its virginity, the truth is that the events in 9/11 made first Afghanistan and then Iraqi Freedom inevitable.
What was Bin Laden thinking??? There's a darned good reason why he ended up in a cesspool like post-Communist Afghanistan, run by extremists.
Personally I'm glad the Taliban are gone, and wish we had inflicted more pain in the process. I find the situation in Iraq quite distasteful, and if you had bothered to follow my forum, you would have found many, many thoughtful posts on the sordid history of U.S. vs. Iraq vs. Iran relations that led up to the mess we got ourselves into. Even going back to the fall of the Ottoman Empire!
That being said, what do we do now? Feel bad about our injustices and so just grab our ankles and take it? Not very wise... Rational behavior needs to start somewhere.
It was with great distaste that I tolerated my country's intervention in Iraq, and the half truths used to justify it. It's just that those half truths were in the same "whopper" league with all the despicable deeds of the French and the Russians with the "palaces for oil" (a.k.a. food for oil) programs. Now that the son-of-a-bitch that NOBODY liked is gone, it is our responsibility (by international law) to see to it that Iraq is rebuilt.
Notice that there is no way the US is going to let the majority population of Iraq decide who shall run that country, lest they dare to elect an ISlamist government.......
Not true. Look at the loya jurgas that the U.S. supported in Afghanistan. We and the international community are allowing for a Muslim-based government to be formed in that country.
That being said, it IS true that we are actively attempting to keep Iran and their Shi-ite extremists OUT of Iraqi business. There is no hiding that. GOOD!!!! They tried to kill Sadaam and failed. To the victor goes the spoils.
Furthermore, I personally think religion-based governments are a really, really
stupid idea. Please appreciate what I am about to say. I no more want to see an Islamic government in ANY country than I want to see Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell or any of those other Christian idiots have any influence on MY OWN government - in spite of the fact that I send my son to a (nondenominational) Christian school. One principle instituted in this country by Thomas Jefferson was an article on religious freedom. Please come to Virginia some time and visit his grave. (Stop by and see me when you do!
) He was proud of three things, and listed them on his grave.
1) Signer of the Declaration of Independence
2) Founder of the University of Virginia
3) Author of an article on religious freedom
This is nothing short of amazing! There is NOTHING in there about being the 3rd president of the United States!!!! That 3rd article above protects your right as a Muslim to practice your faith, and keep the damned Christians out of your business. Freedom to practice religion also equates to freedom FROM religion. Why should Iraq have a Muslim government when not all Iraqis are Muslims? Or Shi-ite Muslims? Or Sunni Muslims? Etc., etc.? Sadaam Hussein was a modern day Hitler, but he got it right on the secular government piece (even though the minority Sunnis had a corrupt influence on the government). It's one of the few things that kept the Sunnis and Shi-ites and Kurds (and countless minorities) together.
I defend you right to be a Muslim, and will fight (in a war no less) to keep Jerry Fallwell from making your kids spout Christian propaganda in the public schools or in our court system. But I will not support you or others attempting to subject your own brand of oppression (a Muslim theocracy) in any government.
Off of soap box...
Notice also that there is no way that the US, or the UN is going to let the Kurds have their own homeland as was done with Isreal. The Kurds have no home. Anybody care enough to do something about it, like change the arbitrary borders of Iran, Iraq and Turkey put in place post WWI.
You are absolutely right. However if we attempted to do this, we'd have the Turkish army in northern Iraq in a New York second. It would destabilize the area, and possibly lead to a "Balkanization" of the region. One big cluster f***. It's a great idea in principle, but there's no good way to implement it that I or others can think of.
But after the way Turkey treated us by not allowing for a northern offensive from their borders (and they SHOULD have, given NATO agreements), I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep if we "allowed" or "encouraged" it to happen.
Ahh, the soap opera of world politics. This is why, Akil, I want to tell the Middle East to create their own hell, and get 100% of our energy from inside our borders. It AIN'T MY BUSINESS!!! Give me my diesel-engined vehicle (which I have been writing about) and I will gladly run it on soybean-based diesel fuel. Keep your oil, and make your own political decisions - for better or for worse.
I wish it were that simple; unfortunately it isn't. But I'm doing my part! Think globally; act locally. Yes, I am doing my part, and I'm proud of it.
Sir...
- Bill
) are waiting for the "hero?"
- Bill
........that is the way to win friends...and the ranks of Hammas and Al Qaeda are swelling as we speak 
......the war is not over, in fact it's only just beginning.
......who really shouldn't be here, but who my Government refuse to throw out. Look at the " English" prisoners held in the USA ( personally I'd take them out and shoot them ).....and all the who har about their " Human Rights".
