A little rant on population's reaction to this conflict in the middle east

The BBQ Pit
1

There comes a time in everyone’s life where one must decide to stand up for one’s own beliefs. When one must draw a line in the sand and say “No more. This far and no further. Never shall I move from this position.”

NOW IS NOT THAT TIME!!

I’m referring specifically to the lunacy surrounding the war (using the term very loosely) with Iraq.

[BackGround]

Apparently, unbeknownst to the world outside of the U.S., hereafter referred to as “This Great Nation”, Iraq is actually a superpower capable of unleashing a torrent of destruction upon any country they choose. The fact that they have only used this technology on local outcasts and Iranians notwithstanding, they could make strikes against this great nation or any other nation of their choice.

Obviously, our only option was to act. Not because of what had occurred, but based on what could happen. After unsuccessfully lobbying for global support for this legitamate, and apparently cloaked, threat, the president of this great nation decided to rid the planet of this dictatorship with the support of only a handfull of nations, hereafter referred to as the “the willing”.

The abstaining nations, hereafter referred to as “the abyss that exists outside of this great nation and only barely borders the willing”, begged and pleaded with this great nation and the willing to refrain from attacking as there was progress being made with Iraq. Their pleas fell of deaf ears as we have now seen a week into this conflict.

The leaders of the abyss that exists outside of this great nation and only barely borders the willing have pledged to help rebuild the crumbled Iraq once this great nation and the willing have finished their experiments with air strikes and guided bombs.

[/BackGround]
Those who disagree with this great nation and the willing are portrayed as left wing extremists. These extremists apparantly view the situation in Iraq to be a garden of Eden where milk and honey flow and everyone has their own puppy. The interviews with these extremists must include the term “oil” when used in the phrase “it’s all about the oil” or some equivilant. These LW extremists shrewdly recognized that the president of this great nation knows nothing outside of the fact that Iraq has oil and this great nation uses a LOT of oil. Therefore, there is conflict.

But, as in everything, there is another side. The section of the public that agrees with this great nation and the willing are portrayed to be redneck, blood thirsty, see it -> shoot it RW extremists. Interviews with these folks must include a comparison of Saddam to Hitler, and possibly a reference to the axis of evil. The RW extremists will reference mountains of evidence that would convince anyone of the danger Iraq poses, if only the non-believers would realize what a great attribute this great nation is to civilization as a whole. The fact that the evidence has nothing to do with any attribute, pro or con, that this great nation provides to humanity is completely and utterly irrelevant.

Reality is nowhere near either extreme. But that won’t stop people from arguing for it. The lunacy is not grounded in the fact that there are attacks occurring in the middle east but in the way the populace is becoming umcomprimisingly polarized over a small, insignificant country.

So when you find yourself in a conversation with someone over this situation, whether you side with this great nation or the abyss that resides outside of this great nation and only barely borders the willing, try to keep things sensible. If one sentence was all that was needed to summarize the reason(s) for this conflict, we would have been told of it. If a single statement could have been spoken to avoid this invasion, we would have heard it.

I’m going to enjoy the fireworks and pray for the troops and populations on both sides. Civilians and soldiers should not have to die for whatever personal agendas their respective leaders have.

peace

2

My eyes just glazed over…

Someone chop that down to a sentence and get back to me.

3

Well, OK then!

:dubious:

BTW, here’s a try at a “single sentence” that summarizes the reason for the conflict:

We are invading Iraq because we can, and because the benefits to the U.S. outweigh the negatives.

4

All you protestors against the War - can Kiss My Ass.

The Children of Iraq are being taken/kidnapped from there homes, and the Men/Fathers are being told “If you do not fight for the Regime/Saddam Hussein, we will execute your child/children.” WTF - Oh great, the Men/Fathers of Iraq are being forced to fight, because the fate of their children are in their hands.

That is Fucked Up, Iraq needs to be freed, and the people need to be able to live without fear, and have a life. This is not a religious fight, this is a fight for freedom.

I am a 10 year Navy Veteran, I was in during the 1st Gulf War, I did my duty. I will support the troops then and now.

5

Hey Intaglio - who we gonna “free” next?

6

Seriously. I mean, isn’t it a little unfair that the Iraqis get all our attention? People are suffering out there, man!!

7

I would hope that anyone for or against this war, would support our troops. Seriously, what kind of an asshole wouldn’t?

With that in mind, carry on.

8

Intaglio -
As one American who would go over and fight those ^%&$*s if I could (they don’t want middle-aged people with arthritis and bad eyesight) thank you for your service. And ditto what you said.

9

Sorry, Intaglio, but I somehow doubt you have the sort of ass that I’d ever consider kissing. Stray pubic hairs, abundance of cellulite, numerous unpopped pimples, am I on the right track here?

Right, we had to invade Iraq because we knew that if we invaded that supporters of the regime would use innocent children as human shields against the invaders, which is, er, us, and thus we must prevent this atrocity by, er, invading Iraq. Or something. Sorry again, I seem to be missing your point somehow.

And in the future, I too supported the troops.

Actually though, I have a very important question for you: why did you capitalize the following words: War, Kiss, My, Ass, Children, Men, Fathers, Regime, Fucked and Up? I’m Racking my Brain trying to remember the rule of English grammar that mandates this, and I’m coming up empty.

10

Here is an article that seems to have an interesting take on the whole “Support the Troops” school of thought. Given that this is a controversial issue, to put things mildly, let me offer the following statement:
[ul]
[li]This article is from a weekly liberal type local publication, and so I offer it as an interesting thing to read, not as a debatable cite.[/li][li]I am still working thorough my personal politics on the support the troops nuance to this conflict, and so am not presenting this as necessarily reflective of how I feel.[/li][/ul]