# Hypothetical: "My loved one is fighting for Iraq..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 5, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-my-loved-one-is-fighting-for-iraq/166669 "2003-04-05T11:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-my-loved-one-is-fighting-for-iraq/166669/21 "2003-04-07T01:02:44Z")
That has to be one of the most unexpected hijacks ever. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by DesertGeezer_ > \ a country like Iraq in which torture is an acceptable practice, forcing civilians to drive bomb-laden trucks at approaching tanks is a normal military practice, and testing chemical weapons on your own people (Kurds) is considered okay \ You actually seem to be saying that Iraqi culture considers this things OK. That’s like saying that American culture condones killing people because of their skin color, because that does happen in this country, you know. I don’t see how your remarks really address the OP, though. Unless you’re saying that it’s acceptable to kill Iraqis because their culture is inferior. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tclouie \* > **🙂 chula – you go, girl. Chula y con opiniones perspicaces. Straight up!** Thanks, **tclouie**! ---
**Author:** ![IEatFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c5a1d2/32.png) [@IEatFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IEatFood)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-my-loved-one-is-fighting-for-iraq/166669/22 "2003-04-07T02:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > So then your also OK with exterminating jews, to follow that line of thought… that is basically what your saying right? War and conflict arent always going to favor YOUR point of view… Actually, the one here that would be greatly and entusiastically in favor of killing jews would be you, purple. Our culture is the one that intervened with Jew-killing, not the one that enagaged in the Jew-killing. If we let your thesis on other cultures being valid just because they exist prevail at the time, the Jew killing would no doubt have continued. Or do you believe that the Nazi “culture” somehow calls for an end to genocide after so many uears/casualties? To all else… I know his point was a strawman, no doubt, but I figured I could at least correct the misunderstanding being displayed. Cheers ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-my-loved-one-is-fighting-for-iraq/166669/23 "2003-04-07T07:04:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chula \* > **That has to be one of the most unexpected hijacks ever.You actually seem to be saying that Iraqi culture considers this things OK. That’s like saying that American culture condones killing people because of their skin color, because that does happen in this country, you know. I don’t see how your remarks really address the OP, though. Unless you’re saying that it’s acceptable to kill Iraqis because their culture is inferior.** Please go back and re-read the entire post. Your snip cut out a lot that I said that makes an entirely different impression when presented _in toto_. I said “ **To the OP:** It’s hard to separate the wish for the ‘success’ of our own troops from the desire that no Iraqui lives beyond the tyrant and his henchmen be lost.” How is that saying I accept killing of Iraqis because their culture is inferior?. I did **not** say that Iraqi _culture_ condones the horrors I described. I said the country (meaning government) did. I also ended with: “As presently constituted, the United States is better than Iraq. Under different leadership in Iraq, that might not be true.” I will certainly always prefer my own homeland to Iraq, but not because it is culturally inferior to America. Iraqi culture exists here, too, as does the wider Muslim culture, along with multitudes of others. The mix is what makes America great. If you disagree with what I said, fine. But please don’t misquote me by “snipping” me out of context. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-my-loved-one-is-fighting-for-iraq/166669.md?page=1)