Here it is
Up until now I've been arguing under the assumption that the US's claims of wanting to disarm Iraq were true. After berating you all for swallowing what your administration is telling you I fell into the same trap. Silly me.
On the morning before the war I caught a news story that said, basically, "even if Saddam goes into exile the US army will still enter Iraq (i.e. invade) to search for WMD etc etc blah". And suddenly the penny dropped. When I then read a story that basically the "threat to the region" presented by Saddam was, in fact, a threat to Israel: Saddam's nuclear weapon plans were to either drive one into Jordan on a flatbad or sail it to Haifa, Israel and detonate it. How could I have been so stupid as to overlook this?
I really don't know.
Naturally this leaves the US in the position of having to remove Saddam from power. That was the initial plan and the one that is being carried out now. All the rest of the inspections, wrangling, diplomacy and acrimony has been a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME because the US wasn't the slightest bit interested in the first place. I guess I was too busy trying to educate the swarm of tards here in how to think for themselves and this notion slipped by me.
So basically the US, after bringing Saddam to power, arming him, almost destroying him, letting him off the hook and then ignoring him decided it was time to clean up it's mess. Good. Nobody can disagree that this evil scumbag should be removed. Shit he shouldn't have even been there in the first place.
Of course the timing and approach have been completely wrong but this is a cowboy administration full of ignorant absolutists who seem to have finally tipped over the edge after a lifetime of building the world's biggest arsenal only to be robbed of their biggest target 10-odd years ago.
So now I agree with this war as long as I take a sufficently short-term view of things.
I still believe the following though:
1) The manipultion of public views through propoganda and outright lies is disgusting beyond measure. The fact that it has worked so thoroughly is depressing.
2) The US is entirely responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people for over 30 years for putting this monster in power and giving him the means to stay there.
3) With a more considered approach UN support for changing the regime in Iraq could have been gained but bullying, carping, insulting and LYING to the people of the world is not how to get these things done.
4) The reasons for leaving Saddam in power 12 years ago when we had our hands around his throat should come out.
5) You assholes who think war is cool and should be used on anyone who looks at you funny should be made to fight one and then forever prevented from breeding.
6) The US has, I believe, greatly misjudged the longterm effects of this war but time will tell.
7) When fighting terrorism, giving the terrorists another cause celebre to fight for is bloody stupid and that's precisely what this cack-handed, hastily started war has given them.
The utter hypocrisy of the US administration and it's stance towards Iraq shames the US and will for a long time. He's been in power something like 34 years and been a monster for all 34 of those. Yet for all but 12 of those 34 years nobody gave 2 shits for the Iraqi people, the torture victims, the 'disappeared'. I'd wager the same tub-thumping conservatives that scream "PEACENIK" rather than engaging their brains would have declared such concern for the oppressed in other countries as "bleeding heart liberal eyewash".9) When you're looking for the support of the world in cleaning up your shit, insulting everyone is a fucking poor way of going about it.
10) Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons doesn't make you the good guys.
11) Doing the right thing when the wrong is your damn fault in the first place also doesn't count.
12) Yes, Iran is your fault too. Go look it up.
So, for the help my country is giving yours in cleaning up this shitty mess of your own making - you're welcome. But I can't blame other nations for reacting less favourably when your leaders have acted like such a pack of total wankers.
Now it's on and I'm through arguing with the braindead. I just hope for a speedy victory and as few casualties as possible on all sides. And I still fear for the future - now more than ever.
