Indeed. How do you interperate that comment Squink, in the context of the whole article?
-XT
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.
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.
From the OP:
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:
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.
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.
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?
John Steward? :smack:
That should be Jon Stewart.
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
How about Iran?
It’ll be interesting to compare that with the Iraqi’s efforts, once we have a decent translation.