I sent an aquaintance the diary on History repeating himself.
His reply is below the fold.
I am at a loss of where to start and again turn to my fellow
flame-throwers might have to say. I have started my draft reply but I know it is safe because he doesn't frequent this hate site.
Also, Vince, I agree history repeats itself.
For 11 years (or whatever), the UN was in agreement that Sadaam possessed and had used weapons of mass destruction. I have never understood how that could be denied as your people (your link library) do consistently. The mass graves and pictures of mass murders speak to what he had. If the man as smart as he is didn't port his goods to safe-keeping before the invasion publically-announced weeks ahead of time, I'd have been most surprised... More surprised than Demo's are indignant in saying the explanation is in Bush's lies. What smart man would leave them laying around when the invaders are coming to find them?
What's repeating itself is the non-Arab world's resolve, while publically agreeing that Iran is a serious threat, working within the UN to make resolutions that no one intends to keep - the very same cat & mouse game played through the 90's (by Bush, Clinton, Bush - in coordination with the UN Security Council). France, Germany, Russia, China - all agree there's a brewing nuclear threat posed by Iran - [in my view - not necessarily theirs, of potential world extinction], and that the threat is against everything on the planet that's non-Islamic, starting with Israel. It's a stated objective of Iran to blow Israel from existence.
The UN is extending a 60-year history of never taking action against a world threat. But Bush is pursuing engaging allies to support stopping Iran. What's the answer? Is Iran not a threat? Nevill Chamberlain would be proud.
I don't want links - I want to understand what you think is reasonable. I do not know answers myself, but I know what's being said makes no sense to me, nor does the current UN dialogue. I also think Bush is trying to give the UN an opportunity to step up to its responsibility in the way that Bush haters say he hasn't. How many resolutions represent trying through the world community? Two? Fifteen? Fifty? 10,000? Before the 10,000, even five years would be gone, and so would life as we know it.
So besides Bush being a stinking liar with world-record ineptness, what am I not understanding - or is that the answer (same thing happened to Clinton). As you know, I really want to see clearly, but flame-throwers don't help me see.
My rough draft:
Q: Would a smart man leave them (WMD) laying around when the invaders are coming to find them?
A: No, probably not. Also, one who doesn't have them doesn't have anything to hide. If you stated the UN says Saddam had them then why didn't thier weapons inspector agree? I'd need a bit more detail on this point.
Q: What is the answer? Is Iran not a threat?
A: Get out of the Middle East and get off of Oil. End all business relation ships with countries that we would otherwise have to beat into submission.
Q: How many resolutions?
A: As many as it would take. If we didn't have someone like Bolton in place to act as a bully to the world we might get more co-operation. My answer to your second question comes in to play here.
The answer is NOT pre-emptive strikes. The answer is NOT spying on innocent Americans. The answer is NOT imprisoning people and taking away ALL rights. The answer is NOT more torture - here or outsourced. The answer is NOT to give more tax breaks to the wealthy. The answer is NOT to trash the enviroment. The answer is NOT to treat your own people worse than a 3rd world courty (New Orleans). The answer is NOT to threathen 11 million people with jail or deportation.
The answer is to make America better. Jim Hightower has a quote from his dad that goes "We all do better when we all do better." When the world sees that America is really the BEST country in the world the world will follow. When America takes the lead in something POSTIVE the world takes notice. Unfortunatly the world is also taking notice of all these abuses. This that make ME go "This is NOT MY America."
Let's use Bush's own free market concept. Don't like America? Fine, we don't do business with you. I am NOT saying to ignore human rights issues (like we are now doing for China) but to realize that the world is a BIG place and
violence is not the answer. Never has been. Never will be.
Just my $0.02