Arundhati Roy on war

[Ben Kenobi]

(It's odd how those who dismiss the peace movement as utopian, don't hesitate to proffer the most absurdly dreamy reasons for going to war:

First off, this piece is not anti-war so much as it is anti-american. We can see this as the piece blames the Americans for the problems in Iraq neglecting to mention the actions of Hussein, et al. Presumably, the piece would not oppose war so long as it were not the Americans engaged in Iraq.

[gsmoove23]

Presumably, the piece would not oppose war so long as it were UN sanctioned and backed by world opinion.

Get off the anti-American crap. The hypocrisy implicit in calling Saddam an evil-doer when some of his worst evil was done while America was supporting him is ridiculous. Hopefully if the american public had been fully aware at the time they would feel the same way. I find it funny that people can call these views anti-american when a large portion of the american public agrees with them.

[Ben Kenobi]

gsmoove:

That's not an anti-war position.
Thanks for confirming my point.

The hypocrisy implicit in calling Saddam an evil-doer when some of his worst evil was done while America was supporting him is ridiculous.

It still does not excuse Hussein for his actions. A more balanced article would recognise this fact.

[gsmoove23]

Originally posted by obiwan18
gsmoove:

That's not an anti-war position.
Thanks for confirming my point.

It quite definately is anti-war since it would be impossible to get a UN sanction and world opinion behind this war. Even members of the "coalition of the willing" offer their support against the wishes of the majority of their people(except perhaps for the British who barely have a majority supporting the war).

It still does not excuse Hussein for his actions. A more balanced article would recognise this fact.

Its an editorial, it doesn't need to be balanced. Leave the long lists of all the bad things Saddam has done for all the pro-war editorials which in turn will ignore the hand the US has had in his actions.

[Ben Kenobi]

It quite definately is anti-war since it would be impossible to get a UN sanction and world opinion behind this war.

Perhaps anti-THIS-war but not necessarily anti-war in general. We cannot tell these positions apart from the content of this essay.

Its an editorial, it doesn't need to be balanced.

Then this is merely one man's opinion and can be disposed of such.

[gsmoove23]

Originally posted by obiwan18
Perhaps anti-THIS-war but not necessarily anti-war in general. We cannot tell these positions apart from the content of this essay..

Well maybe your right, she isn't against every possible conceivable war. :P I don't know many people opposing the war who are complete pacifists, most oppose cause THIS one just doesn't make any sense.

Then this is merely one man's opinion and can be disposed of such.

If only we could deal with Bush so easily. Actually though, its an opinion shared by much of the world, right or wrong.

[Ben Kenobi]

I don't know many people opposing the war who are complete pacifists, most oppose cause THIS one just doesn't make any sense.

Well now you have.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Sikander

While the connections of this regime to Islamicist terrorists is thin to say the least, Iraq has had a long connection to terrorists, including training, logistical support and sanctuary.

And Syria even stronger links, to Hezbollah, to the kidnappers and murderers in Lebanon, to Palestinian terror groups, to Baader-Meinhof, Red Army Faction, the Japanese Red Army, Abu Nidal, and the terrorist who tried to blow up a plane in Great Britain using his pregnant girlfriend as bomb mule.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/24/newsid_2478000/247850

And of course to Lockerbie.

But then, Syria is a bit low on oil....