(In a classic melon departure...)
Why, suddenly, is there so much sympathy for a dictator? Certainly, Bush is not one of our more loveable American presidents, but, for all intensive purposes, Hussein is not exactly a cuddly dictator himself.
I've felt all along that Hussein is perhaps one of the minds behind September 11th; if not that, at least a financial source. Bin Laden, in reference to his motivations against America, often refers to two scenarios that started from the half-assed Gulf War:
1) Continued American military presence in Saudi Arabia, which he "believes" is a desecration of holy land.
2) Continued American aggression and sanctions against Iraq.
It's funny how many sympathies this man has for a nation he's never lived in, right? Money can certainly build loyalties, and, without evidence, I think that Hussein may indeed be one of Al-Qaeda's silent partners. The guilty party is often the one with the most to gain and the least to lose, and, indeed, Hussein would have much to gain from Al-Qaeda's success. While I am disgusted at America's most half-assed way of dealing with Iraq over the last decade, it is too late to just say "oh well" and let him go free. This man needs to be removed, because an unleashed, battered dictator is the last thing the Western world needs.
I am often upset at the history behind all of these military conflicts, which often are borne of self-serving past conflicts. I see that America is no longer in the business of building nations, which successfully disassembled and built powerful allies out of Germany and Japan. Indeed, over the last decade, we've seen the fall of the Soviet Union as a sputtering and slowly improving nation, and I certainly see Afghanistan as being similarly ineffective. Of course, why would America wish to build powerful competitors when it can have political vassals? Unfortunately, I believe, it is this system that is fueling the conflicts of the future. We may be solving immediate problems, but what problems are we creating for the future? That is where I have some trust issues with Bush, as Reagan, his self-professed political idol, and Bush, Sr., his father, were no different.
Melon
Why, suddenly, is there so much sympathy for a dictator? Certainly, Bush is not one of our more loveable American presidents, but, for all intensive purposes, Hussein is not exactly a cuddly dictator himself.
I've felt all along that Hussein is perhaps one of the minds behind September 11th; if not that, at least a financial source. Bin Laden, in reference to his motivations against America, often refers to two scenarios that started from the half-assed Gulf War:
1) Continued American military presence in Saudi Arabia, which he "believes" is a desecration of holy land.
2) Continued American aggression and sanctions against Iraq.
It's funny how many sympathies this man has for a nation he's never lived in, right? Money can certainly build loyalties, and, without evidence, I think that Hussein may indeed be one of Al-Qaeda's silent partners. The guilty party is often the one with the most to gain and the least to lose, and, indeed, Hussein would have much to gain from Al-Qaeda's success. While I am disgusted at America's most half-assed way of dealing with Iraq over the last decade, it is too late to just say "oh well" and let him go free. This man needs to be removed, because an unleashed, battered dictator is the last thing the Western world needs.
I am often upset at the history behind all of these military conflicts, which often are borne of self-serving past conflicts. I see that America is no longer in the business of building nations, which successfully disassembled and built powerful allies out of Germany and Japan. Indeed, over the last decade, we've seen the fall of the Soviet Union as a sputtering and slowly improving nation, and I certainly see Afghanistan as being similarly ineffective. Of course, why would America wish to build powerful competitors when it can have political vassals? Unfortunately, I believe, it is this system that is fueling the conflicts of the future. We may be solving immediate problems, but what problems are we creating for the future? That is where I have some trust issues with Bush, as Reagan, his self-professed political idol, and Bush, Sr., his father, were no different.
Melon