Righties: It's Time to Justify Your War
I was doing my weekly journey through the Blogasphere when I came across revka’s take. A total right-winger and she has some interesting post. By the way, it was through Mahndisa’s Thought that I came by this blog. Got two plugs in one paragraph, I’m getting good.
Anyway, she is definitely not feeling those of us on the left and that is no big deal. We started to debate the justification of going to war in Iraq and she noted that we actually did find WMD’s in Iraq. She then went on to claim that Saddam could have moved his stockpile to Syria.
I in turned provided some links that show that the CIA’s final report after the war stated that there were no WMD’s found in Iraq. I then posted a link of the 9/11 Report that showed that there was no link between Saddam and Al Qaeda.
Like most red hot righties, she brought up Clinton and yada yada yada. I’m not one for debating the ethical nature of political parties because I think both Dems and the GOP advocate a cesspool mentality when it comes to ethics. But my final point is this. Based on the reason that Bush sold the war, was Iraq a just war? And I would like official confirmation of this information. I’m not looking for novelist like Ann Coulter or pain pill popping, block heads like Rush Limbaugh. If a righty can provide the information to these four questions – then I will say that the war in Iraq is justified.
1. Show that Iraq did indeed have WMD's and that we found them or know where they are.
2. Iraq had indeed reconstituted its nuclear program and the centrifuges were for a nuclear program.
3. Iraq was indeed an imminent threat to American security.
4. Saddam indeed have a relationship with Al Qaeda and would have provided them with WMD's.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Because I’m not interested in the fact that Saddam gassed his own people. That was over decade ago and if we really cared we would have done something then. I’m not interested in the fact that Saddam was a bad person… so are a lot of dictators around the world.
If we were really serious about rooting out terrorist regimes we’d be in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan right now. If it were the thought of rogue regimes with nuclear weapons we would attack Iran and North Korea.
The only thing I am interested in is a government report verifying the initial justification for war. No talking points, government reports. Ok, neo-cons, the floor is yours.
Other Resources:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/justifindex.htm
http://mindprod.com/politics/iraqlies.html#LIED
http://mindprod.com/politics/iraqmotives.html#MOTIVES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_war
12:09 PM Adraanne,
I'm sure there will be some and I am waiting for them.
2:20 PM The problem that neo-cons have with this topic is that most of their belief in the war is grounded in faith of the President and not on actual facts. Everyone recognizes that Saddam was not a good man, but that alone is not just cause for war.
If we deconstruct the Bush's initial justification, we will find that he manufactured the justification with shaky evidence. Now for the neo-cons to accept this, they must then accept the fact that Bush was not upfront with them. They will not do that because this is the time that neo-cons have been waiting for. They control the country and its agenda. Bush is simply a Bishop in this game so his moves all part of a bigger scheme.
But I am waiting for a response.
2:44 PM 11 02 05
James! YOu will get a response. Let me advertise it on the blog. Maybe by the end of the night or tmw morning, you will have some hits for sure! Thx for the questioning. I don't really support the war, but for different reasons that many on the Left. As a woman's rights activist back in the day, we CALLED for a regime change in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The blatant human rights and abuses towards women were astouding! Those regimes needed to be changed. But I am more like an ollie north Reaganite with the approach I woulda taken to solve those issues. I also feel that the guy who Obinladen used for his theology was a danger and shoulda been taken out twenty years ago! So shd Obinladen! That is all I will say for now. Because I want the others to speak on this. I wish the approach to the war was more subtle and that so many lives weren't lost. But I will touch on that tmw! EXCELLENT and thought provoking post!
2:44 PM This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
3:15 PM Mahn,
Thanks. I look forward to it. I know Rebe has found somthing that she is going to share so I'm waiting on that as well.
3:28 PM The bottom line is that the Downing Street Memo and the outing of Valerie Plame are concrete proof that the war on Iraq was unjustified. They lied. Another thing, when Saddam killed the Kurds, these people were trying to stage a revolt with the help of Iran. I wonder what would happen if a group of us tried to overthrow the American government. Any reasonable person would think the American government would stop us by any means necessary and that means death. As far as women rights, women have far less rights now that Saddam is gone.
6:21 PM Great blog and the appearance is so different...all I can say is this...Bush is a liar and we have lost 2000 men and women and over 15,000 critally wounded on his lie...how do you spell Bush is a Liar...IMPEACHMENT for his whole team...
8:06 PM 11 02 05
Cynthia:
Yes, women and everyone else in Iraq have less rights now because they are in a state of war. I know that Iraq had a strong female intelligentsia, but I also know that the opportunity for education was NOT extended to all of them. Mr. Hussein ran a dictatorship full of cronies and he boiled insurgent's bones! Then he went after the intellectuals. Something had to be done, although not in the way it was done. No argument about the Taliban huh? You KNOW they had an oppresive regime, particularly against those who critisized them and WOMEN!
Regarding the KURDS, you are wholly incorrect and are using fallacious reasoning. Kurds had a sovreign state. They were on friendly terms with the US because of oil. They were separate from Iraq, but Mr. Hussein tried to annex them. The comparison to a state in the US suceeding is invalid. A better comparison would be a commonwealth like Puerto Rico or Guam, but still invalid because Kurds lived in a separate Nation!
Rose, how does Bush lying mean squat? Did he lie, or was he lied to? Did he make a rash decision? I believe so. But those jerks needed to be stopped! What would you have done? I think some Reagan tactics were in order here.
Thought provoking post James!
9:58 PM Mahn, I think you may be mistaken about the Kurds having their own nation. After the first Gulf War we installed a no fly zone over the northern and southern regions of Iraq. This gave the Kurds relative autonomy but before then, they were just a province of Iraq. Turkey is against a Kurdish nation otherwise they would have requested and independent state after we invaded Iraq.
I see you argue that we could have gotten rid of Saddam a different way... and I would agree with that. He was not worth invading.
11:55 AM 11 03 05
James, I thought the Kurds had a sovreign state! Let me research it further. As I am not perfect and appreciate clarifications! Thx!
12:04 PM 11 03 05
Hey James, after doing the reasearch I realized that I confused Mr. Hussein's gassing of the Kurds (with chemical weapons) with his invasion of Kuwait. Although Kurds live in Kuwait, that was the separate principality. Thx for clearing that up and I do stand corrected! Here are some links:
http://arabic-media.com/saddam.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_213.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/iraq/britain_iraq_07.shtml
12:50 PM No problem, Mahn. That's the beauty of the internet. You can find anything you want. I will check the links.
7:38 PM I have a question for you. Why do you think you are a liberal? Was it your upbringing? Was there a turning point? I'm just curious.
9:48 PM Miss Chatter, If you read my post on the Progressive Mindset, you will see that I fall on the left on most issues. I'm sure part of it is that I am from Chicago - A Democrat stronghold, but I've come to believe in my positions after years of following politics and just going with my gut instincts.
I'll hit you up on your blog to give you those technical tips.