Re: How America Massacred Many Innocent Civilians At Fallujah

From: derdrittemann (derdrittemann2003_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 06/14/04 

Date: 14 Jun 2004 07:55:17 -0700

a_weisman@yahoo.com (A_Weisman) wrote in message news:<e55e6d97.0406131741.1d7b7b86@posting.google.com>...
> "Martijn" <Kw3Ls@hotmal.com> wrote in message news:<40cc7d71$0$771$3a628fcd@reader10.nntp.hccnet.nl>...
> > "A_Weisman" <a_weisman@yahoo.com> schreef in bericht
> > news:e55e6d97.0406121537.54c7643@posting.google.com...
> >
> > At last an American on this group who is not looking throught his/her
> > patriotic glasses like most others do.
>
> "Martijn there are many (but not enough) who are informed and who
> aren't simply reactionary and jingoistic here".

There may even be some here who have been deeply troubled and
frustrated over the anachronistic tribal political structure in some
middle eastern, oil-rich states, and have great sympathy for the
people who starve in the face of great wealth...literally flowing from
the earth. There may have been many in the State Department...former
and present...who saw the need to "modernize" the gulf states
political structure and distribute the wealth of these nations more
appropriately among their people.

Some may even have sympathy for the objectives of anyone who would
aspire to bring down such regimes. Their attempt to drive a wedge by
attacking the allies of the Saudi regime, however, makes them
international criminals...and the US has a right to defend itself from
such attacks...al Qaeda and Osama are ouside the boundaries of
international law, now...regardless of how one may understand the
motivations...or even sympathize with them.

Unfortunately, the "free-flow-of-oil" from that region is not only of
paramount importance to the United States...but to the GLOBAL
economy...particularly, Asia...increasingly China. An ascendency of
fundamentalist Moslem regimes...controlling the world's supply of
oil...threatening the world with that control...is frightening ...from
a GLOBAL perspective...probably capable of throwing the world economy
into deep economic depression.

That's reality.

The United States...as the world's largest military power has had the
unenviable task of securing that flow...which means supporting those
with their hands on the shutoff valve.

The collapse of the former USSR left the US as the preeminent
economic, miltary and political power...a position unparallelled,
probably since the UK in the height of the Empire. The challenge is to
use that power wisely...for the good of the world's people...and not
just the narrow interests of the west...or the US in particular.

To the extent that the intervention in Iraq makes any sense, it's real
primary objectives were probably to intervene in the region, where
there was an opportunity...before the Islamic revolution spirals out
of control...establishing a positive western presence...and securing a
foothold against total oil shutoff. We see the future...we will need
new oil buddies, basically.

Secondly...by taking out Saddam...one of Israel's most fervent, vocal
and dangerous enemies is off the board, in theory, making the
possibility of progress there possible.

The reality here, for our European friends, also, is that the fairly
substantial Jewish population in certain key states in the US means
that American presidents or presidential candidates are reluctant to
oppose Israeli policy...and are eager to convince Jewish voters of
their support of Israel. While the raw numbers are not high...in the
last election, this issue could easily have cost either side the
election.

Domestic electoral politics sometimes have critical roles in American
foreign policy actions.

The other objective, apparently, was to build a "model democracy" in
the middle east...and thus, provide an example of how a pro-western
government would work for the benefit of other arab states with
similar tensions.

Naive, at best. But the overall objective may have...may have...been
more benign than many critics, particularly in Europe, have
insinuated. Perhaps a good objective. Brilliant military execution. No
follow-through on the most important objective. Too few resources
devoted. Ridiculous assumptions concerning "planting the seeds" of a
democracy in a desert and expecting them to grow.

Some of the European criticism is a bit difficult to hear at
times...as some of it is an outgrowth of the very colonial,
imperialistic policies which created the very exploitive divisions in
the first place. The French and Russians, for instance, had their
hands deep into Iraq.

 Very moralistic now...liberals, neo-Socialists and "Green" parties
objections shpould be, perhaps viewed in the historic context of the
roles of European intervention in the area.

In other words...thanks for the mess. Thanks for blaming us for trying
to straighten it out. And, if and when Islamic fundamentalists shut
down the world's oil supply...and economic chaos ensues...please
remember to donate your help. Talk to us then.
>
> "There needs to be some kind of balance. For all the danger, the era of
> the cold war did provide a certain inherent check".

Honestly, I think this "balance of power" theory hasn't been heard
since the treaty of Versailles. I don't think we think along the lines
of these concepts any longer. You cannot "create" a balance to the
United States(unless it is China, perhaps)...nor can you "dismantle"
the US.
>
> "Throughout history there has been a need for a balance of power to
> check the unfettered power of any one nation".

Metternich? Is that you?
>
>>>
> "But just like Germany didn;t need to be "dismantled" (it is united
> again and not a threat) I think the bigger problem is similar to that
> of Germany prior to WW II".

Personally, I think if their is an appropriate analogy to German
history, it may well be to the failed attempt to create a democracy in
Germany following WWI...the "Weimar Republic"...and the role the
weakness of that government played in allowing the fascists to come to
power. This, apparently, is what we intend to do in Iraq.
>
> "It wasn't that ALL the people of Germany were united in their desire
> for liebenstraum or aryan purity or world domination. Or that all
> Germans of the era were "evil."

Okay...at the risk of appearing to be an anal smartass...you mean
"Lebensraum", or "living space"...you are confusing the word for
"Liebestraum"...or, "sweet dreams", the famous Liszt melody. It's sort
of unintentionally funny...but a common error.

What I find most personally disturbing about our direction here was
the initiation of action by the United States...

...without a convincing showing for need of action or provocation.

It has been along standing policy of the US to NOT iniatiate
aggressive action.(Okay...Laos, Cambodia, Grenada excepted).

I doubt that the relative ease with which this was done should be
overlooked, and it well may be time to review the "War Powers Act" as
it applies to similar actions.
>
>

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