I am a lawyer and my interest in Iraq and the USA flexing of its muscles in Iraq started long before 2003. In 1998/99, as part of my legal studies, I took a course on the Law of International Relations and wrote a project on the USA's dismissal of UN resolutions on Iraq. I felt that more than most people, my research on the subject allowed me to speak with conviction on the fact that the US had no right defying the UN (especially given the history of why the UN was established in the first place) and had absolutely no right to invade Iraq.
As an aside, whilst Saddam Hussien's rule was deplorable, far from the propaganda messages of the USA liberating an oppressed nation, it may surprise some to know that prior to the destruction of Iraq by the USA, UK and their allies, Iraq was one of the most liberal Muslim countries where Christians were allowed to practice their faith in peace and women had more rights than in most Arab nations.
It may further surprise some to learn of some of the atrocities done by the USA prior to the recent war, including invading convents inhabited by nuns in their quests to find the so called weapons of mass destruction which were of course never found.
The point of this diary is really to highlight the differences in the USA that I found in 2003, and the USA that I see now. Then in March 2003, with the emotions of impending war running high, my husband and I talked to a great many people, and were shocked at their limited and wrong views of not only the world as a whole, but the impending war on Iraq. We debated and argued against this war, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears that seemed to believe that the USA as a superpower was entirely justified to invade a sovereign country, and especially entitled to defy various UN resolutions.
We were shocked that some of the people we spoke to felt that the USA should be judge and jury, and arbiter of what the world should or shouldn't do and which country could be invaded. My questions about the real reasons for the invasion, including OIL were met with the same repetition without conviction of the same argument that the war mongering media seemed to be advocating.
I therefore find it rather astonishing that in this climate of a seemingly popular war, and the flushes of patriotism accompanying it, coupled with the politics of fear that linked the war to the September 11 attacks, a young politician hoping to become a member of the senate that voted for the war, had the judgment to make the RIGHT call and also dared to stand with MANY other Americans who also had the foresight to protest the war, and speak out against it.
The Republicans and others like to borrow Hillary Clinton’s derision of Obama by alluding that he merely made a speech against the war in 2002. Merely just a speech? Just words? I don't think so. At the time when Obama and others were in the minority against a popular war, standing up to be counted and speaking against it were not just words!
I apologize profusely for any offense my views in 2003 might cause, but I thought the American government and the majority of Americans who bought into that view that the war was justified were simply shockingly ignorant. The same view my American PA and I had, shell shocked, on that day in 2004 that Bush was once again voted as president.
Yes, there have been many since then who have come to recognize the errors of the war. It is now sexy to oppose the war. But Obama opposed it from day one, whilst McCain and others who constantly cite their experience and good judgment voted for the war, and until this day, have never deemed it necessary to apologize for that vote.
Some have even made some unintelligent comments about Obama milking the war issue. I disagree that he is milking the issue. It is the most important foreign policy issue that has been faced by the western world in recent years. It is the reason why my own country the UK has now had Islamic terrorist attacks with intelligent young people, including medical doctors, born and bred in the UK, willing to kill innocent people and to die in the name of Jihad because Tony Blair instead of standing up against an unjust war, by some warped logic and warped sense of loyalty to its ally the USA, and the same lies and propaganda, committed the UK to this war.
I say Obama and others who had the fortitude, foresight, courage, wisdom, judgment, and character to oppose the war, should milk it till the sun stops shinning.
But the shockingly ignorant America that I saw in March 2003 is no longer the America that I see today. I remember last year, when I was boring anyone who would listen about this guy Obama who is running to be the democratic nominee, I would sigh sadly that even though I believed he was the best of all the candidates, that I didn't think Americans would vote in a black man.
How wrong was I?
What I see today is an energized country where many people think for themselves, research and choose for themselves regardless of what the media might choose to broadcast.
What I see in an American where many people are not merely supporting Obama because he is black, or not McCain, but are willing to compare and contrast, question and judge his policies, and decide that irrespective of a sad and racist past, someone can be given the hope of leading the USA based on merits alone
What I see today is an American that should be proud to once again call itself a superpower, and an American that can be proud.
As rightly or wrongly, where America goes, the rest of the world follows, win or lose the general election, by embracing Obama to do as well as he has done so far, the American people have given racial discrimination a big fat RED card.
As an outsider, I am proud of the USA!
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