# Seriously, why the war in Iraq? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291 "2005-08-16T17:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/41 "2005-08-19T00:48:10Z")
[Interesting quote from Christofer Hitchens:](http://slate.msn.com/id/2124157/?nav=navoa) > [@](#): > > It never seemed to me that there was any alternative to confronting the reality of Iraq, which was already on the verge of implosion and might, if left to rot and crash, have become to the region what the Congo is to Central Africa: a vortex of chaos and misery that would draw in opportunistic interventions from Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Bad as Iraq may look now, it is nothing to what it would have become without the steadying influence of coalition forces. None of the many blunders in postwar planning make any essential difference to that conclusion. Indeed, by drawing attention to the ruined condition of the Iraqi society and its infrastructure, they serve to reinforce the point. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/42 "2005-08-19T01:19:51Z")
[Interesting Quote From Iraqi Call In TV Show:](http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050817/wl_nm/iraq_violence_dc) > [@](#): > > Instead of Saddam we now have thousands of Saddams ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/43 "2005-08-19T01:34:18Z")
Indeed. How do you interperate that comment Squink, in the context of the whole article? -XT ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/44 "2005-08-19T01:43:10Z")
Saddam was **Evil.** Hitler-like Evil. He deserved to be taken down. Now, I advocated a smart-missle right up his ass, instead of a expensive and deadly invasion, but few listened. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/45 "2005-08-19T12:25:37Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Indeed. How do you interperate that comment Squink, in the context of the whole article? The country’s in chaos, and people are yelling about it. Have you been trying to follow news on the _actual_ progress of the constitutional negotiations? On any day you can find that a compromise solution is at hand, that the kurds or Sunnis are pulling out, that women’s rights will be protected, that the Shiites are demanding an Iran style “committee for the protection of the constitution.” etc. etc. etc. I don’t think _anyone_ knows what’s going on in Iraq, beyond the place being a vortex of chaos and misery of the exact sort Mr. Hitchens (Isky’s post) warns against. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/46 "2005-08-19T13:29:42Z")
_From the OP:_ > [@](#): > > Saddam is a clear and present danger and we’re not going to wait for him to strike first. This never rang true to me. It’s better than that: as I recall, we were being told, simultaneously, that 1) Saddam was such a threat that we had to strike first; and 2) Saddam was so weak that invading his country would be a walk in the park. Genius. _DrDeth:_ > [@](#): > > Saddam was Evil. Hitler-like Evil. He deserved to be taken down. Yeah; I remember hearing that from the State Dept. in 1990. What I didn’t hear was an explanation of why we’d been supporting this Arabic Hitler guy for much of the previous decade while he was fighting Iran. And since there were other evil dictators we were still friendly with, this just never rang with a lot of sincerity for me. > [@](#): > > Now, I advocated a smart-missle right up his ass, instead of a expensive and deadly invasion, but few listened. Actually, a lot of people listened. (Well, not to **you** , but to the idea.) Saddam kept that possibility in mind, and avoided it. (Is there deliberate irony in misspelling “smart missile”?) It’s inexcusable that we haven’t yet had an investigation into war profiteering. Possibly when the mid-terms restore a Democrat majority to the House. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/47 "2005-08-19T17:51:13Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Have you been trying to follow news on the _actual_ progress of the constitutional negotiations? For comparison: > [@](#): > > The second Continental Congress adopted the Articles (of Confederation) on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate. The Articles then languished for another three years before ratification was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles were replaced by the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788, [Cite.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation) ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/48 "2005-08-22T04:31:49Z")
Even though John Steward made fun of her for saying so, Condi Rice was right, this is democracy at work. Can you think of any issue that our American Congress is unanimously in agreement on? ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/49 "2005-08-22T04:33:50Z")
John Steward? :smack: That should be Jon Stewart. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/50 "2005-08-22T04:50:20Z")
> [@](#): > > The second Continental Congress adopted the Articles (of Confederation) on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate. The Articles then languished for another three years… Of course the Iraqis, unable to learn anything from other constitutions, or 250 years of related history, _must_ reinvent the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/51 "2005-08-23T17:35:38Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Of course the Iraqis, unable to learn anything from other constitutions, or 250 years of related history, _must_ reinvent the wheel. Well, if they don’t, al-Queda sympathizers in Iraq and the Usual Suspects on the SDMB will accuse them of being puppets of the Great Satan. Of course, they will anyway, but if the Iraqis are to have a fair shot at writing a Constitution, they will have to be give time to do it. Besides, what other democracy in the Middle East are they supposed to take for a model? Israel? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291/52 "2005-08-23T18:24:53Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Besides, what other democracy in the Middle East are they supposed to take for a model? Israel? [How about Iran?](http://www.iranonline.com/iran/iran-info/Government/constitution.html) It’ll be interesting to compare that with the Iraqi’s efforts, once we have a decent translation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-why-the-war-in-iraq/317291.md?page=2)