RE: MD Heroes, ethnocentrism, Qualtiy, and War

From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sun Mar 16 2003 - 00:13:35 GMT

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    Andy, Steve and all:

    Andy said:
    I don't believe the US wants to rid the world of Saddam or get rid of
    weapons of mass production, because all evidence indicates he has none. I
    believe it is about the oil and also about Saudi Arabia. The US knows who
    financed Al queda and where there support came from. Many of the financers
    were in bed with US business including businessmen within the
    administration and with close ties with the Bush family. The only way to
    deal with the Saudi's is to move next door. To call them out, would be an
    embarassment to Bush. We will have a permanent military prescence in Iraq
    after this war I assure you. The threat of the Saudi's slowing the flow of
    oil, or worse, directing it somewhere else in the world (China, Russia,
    Germany, France - hmm where have I seen these names before), is the threat
    to our security. Most notably our economy, which is in worse shape than we
    even know. This is all about the oil and the economy and many people are
    going to suffer as a result.

    DMB says:
    I don't think the Rortyisms that started this thread work at all, but I'm
    with you on this one. Mind if I just riff on it a bit? I don't feel like
    being too philosophical or even careful...

    Every picture is worth a thousand words? I saw a map that was worth millions
    of words. A ring of dozens of U.S. military installations surrounding the
    oil fields, which contain two thirds of the world's known reserves. The ones
    built between the oil crisis of the mid '70s and the first gulf war were a
    different color than the ones built since then. A brutal villain in the
    region is almost too convenient! This kind of thing has been in the works
    for nearly thirty years. Now that the cold war is over and Americans are too
    scared to think straight, its gonna be American hegemony full throttle,
    baby!

    The Bush doctrine, unilateral pre-emptive strikes and regime change, sends a
    strong message to every country in the world. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    We know Saddam had chemical and biological weapons because U.S. companies
    have the receipts to prove it. Everybody knows Saddam and Bin Laden are
    blowback, the side effects of previous attempts to control the region.

    Nazisim grew up in an atmosphere of national humiliation. The economy was in
    ruins. The international community imposed tight restrictions on Germany's
    weapons. They'd just lost a war, etc.. Fascism is extreme nationalism, and
    it often is how insulted or suppressed nations behave. Its a reaction to the
    injury, so to speak. The various religious and ethnic groups that made up
    Yugoslavia is another example. One side was more fascist and genocidal it a
    region wide fit of cultural re-assertion. I'm afraid we might be brewing up
    some new monster even worse than Saddam. Some young soldier is living
    through all this and grew up during Iraq's quasi-occupation, maybe his dad
    or favorite uncle was killed in the first one. What's gonna happen when a
    guy like that gets to be middle-aged and in charge of the country?

    The aim to control oil is based on the idea that it translates into
    security, treasure and power. These are age-old values and there's no
    denying their importance. It just that the current methods are too
    dangerous, costly and isolating, which is exactly the opposite of the goal.
    There are plenty of good reasons to believe that a little intellectual
    control goes a long way in situations just like this. As an established
    instution and body of international law, the UN is our best hope so far of
    such a moderator. That's what makes the Bush policy so tragic. Its
    hopelessly anti-intellectual. Its way, way too American. He runs foreign
    policy like he's CEO of the world.

    I checked with the guys who grow my pot. They assured me that they are not
    terrorists. Does that mean its ok to smoke dope? I mean, if my dealer is a
    good American and I drive a small car, haven't the terrorists already won?

    I think we should secretly detain and torture John Ashcroft until he tells
    us what he did with our rights.

     

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