Dancing in the streets, part Deux!

[MarkG]

What I find puzzling about this is that I thought that the left was largely against the police, law and order and were favor anarchy. Was I wrong?

The fact that they are looting the museums and hospitals is disturbing; but it does raise questions as to how much these institutions were involved in the government control apparatus.

i beg of you, please tell me you're trolling!!

[gsmoove23]

and a pinch is anarchy.

[Kropotkin]

Originally posted by DanS
what do you call them when they start beatings and lynchings?

Effective community policing in a pinch.

That's a nice euphemism.

[DanS]

Of course it's anarchy. The government fell on Wednesday. It's also a war zone with a lot of chaos. Be realistic!

[MarkG]

The army and marines are stepping in to hospitals as resources and opportunity allows.

according to reports, opportunity is never given....
still, as the same army was supposed to be able to take over the city i wonder it's not possible to control it....

[DanS]

still, as the same army was supposed to be able to take over the city i wonder it's not possible to control it...

Just as it was going to be a while before the city was taken, it will be a while before the city is controlled.

[Ned]

Originally posted by MarkG

Most of these looters appear to have been looking for a souvenir from a regime that they hated.

like medicines from hospitals, desks and pc's from embassies, anything you can imagine from stores, etc

I agree, Mark, that we should provide immediate security to hospitals, private stores and private banks. But, let the German, French and Russian embassies defend themselves, if they can, against the anger of the Iraqi people who justly are angry at their support of the monster Saddam.

As to the government facilities, I say, "Loot them, sack them, burn them!" The people need their revenge.

[Kropotkin]

The troops are not that many considering the situation, they are not trained for police work and most of them don't know the language. To think and demand that the US army shall do something about the situation in a instant is just absurd. It's that kind of thing that a confused US-basher comes up with because they have nothing else to complain about at that very moment.

If this goes from here to a permanent situation however it's time to be concerned.

[DanS]

Some more effective community policing...

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2554231

[gsmoove23]

German and French are still our NATO allies. Failing to defend them is a whole different matter then them failing to join us in what they consider a war of aggression.

Yes, the troops are not enough, the american war machine might have charged ahead to quickly, extended it self too far in the hopes of keeping this war palatable to the public.

The only thing left to do is rush more troops as quickly as possible.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Why didn't the US forces in Baghdad stop looting and maintain order? The looters even target hospitals (What the bloody hell?) and ordinary people are afraid.

I gave this explanation back on the first page, and in the last thread:

the trick is detaining them. Some may heed to soldiers brandashing M-16s and SAWs, but those that dont will be shot... and that is all that is needed to start it... "THE AMERICANS KILLED MY [Insert relation here]!!! THEY ARE HERE TO KILL US< NOT LIBERATE US!!! KILL THE AMERICANS!!! KILL THEM!!! KILL THEM!!!"... or somethn to that affect. soon we would have civilians throwing rocks at us and poping occaonal shots.. it ould then probably escalate into a full scale infatida or somethn... or at lest this is a fear of mine.

we need to get non lethal weapons in there... like these humvees i was reading about that shoots a ray of microwaves to burn the skin in an intense, but brief second, or those British riot patrol guns that shoot batons, adn other stuff of the like. Good old fassioned riot gear and billy clubs may also be necessary

[DinoDoc]

Speaking of looting, how are they handling US soldiers taking Iraqi weapons that they consider to be collectibles?

[Spiffor]

Ned :
I think most people in the left want a cohesive society where the strong can't do whatever he wants to the weak. Except for anarchists who believe such an order can be found spontaneously, this aim sure needs some authority and organization.

Ned, DanS, and other conservatives :
I am amazed you people, who I deem intelligent, insist on denying the evidence that Baghdad has entered anarchy, where common thugs and needy people use their force to pillage what they want/can. You seem to believe they are driven by political conciousness, but they are not. They are driven by greed or need, and the general climate of "everthing is allowed".

[gsmoove23]

Kramerman,

Justice has a way of killing people sometimes, even with non-lethal weapons, but if done carefully then the shouts of those angry at americans will be drowned out by those who are happy to have their private property protected. Nobody's saying its an easy job, just that we don't have a choice but to do it. We chose(supposedly) to be here.

[Kropotkin]

The US soldiers can't just around and take peoples weapons, that's against the constitution you know (and probably against the Koran as well).