RE: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [MLUG][Politics] State of the Union

["Hargus, Diana" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Let's take these one by one: 
* -----Original Message-----
* From: EMAIL:PROTECTED 
* [mailto:EMAIL:PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Miller
* Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 2:14 PM
* To: MLUG Off-Topic Discussion
* Subject: Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [MLUG][Politics] State of the Union
* 
* Stephen--
* 
* I read your entire email about the war in Iraq.  I just think 
* that Bush is not there for humanitarian reasons.  I don't see 
* the evidence.  There is plenty of evidence of deception and 
* manipulative tactics like trying to tie Saddam to 9/11.  They 
* have an argument that we are drawing terrorists into Iraq, 
* where we are killing them, and thereby protecting the rest of 
* the world.  They'll say whatever works to deflect criticism, 
* but I think they lie so much that they don't know what is 
* true and they hardly care.

The mass graves don't exist (the holocaust never happened)
Granted, there are other reasons for us being there, but that is not a
good one?  You have been showing that you can be positive about things
you don't like, but this single-minded hatred of the president, is not
healthy.  Please, consider saying something nice once in a while (that
goes for the other side in this discussion as well).

* Another thing that you have to consider is that the war in 
* Iraq is very helpful to the terrorist opposition.  It gives 
* them another rallying point in addition to the usual 
* Palestine/Israel argument.  This may be increasing anti-USA 
* sentiment, increasing the number of terrorists and helping 
* their fund raising efforts.  In addition, the war in Iraq has 
* killed many innocent Iraqis and sullied our reputation due to 
* Abu Graib. 
* The majority of Iraqi people now want us to leave.  It is 
* definitely quite a mess because we can't simply withdraw 
* without being blamed for the horrors that will quickly follow.

Have you talked to anyone that has actually been there?  I have, 
I watched him pull another piece of shrapnel out of his arm.  
Yet, there have been no purple hearts or awards for him.  While he 
was there, he was injures 3 times: IED to the humvee he was in, 
gun round to the chest, and a mortar round to the wall behind his bunk.
He said there was no feeling like being thanked by the people over
there; 
It is the reason he will be going back in a few months again.
 
* Meanwhile, our $177 million per *day* pouring into Iraq to 
* "help" them cannot be spent on other things.  Things like 
* Katrina cleanup, the earthquake victims in Pakistan, the 
* tsunami victims in Indonesia, or any of a thousand other 
* worthwhile projects that would unambiguously help others 
* while strengthening our international reputation as decent 
* humanitarians.

All "feel-good" goals, and some are actually "do-good" as well,But would
you be so selfish as to deny the right to exist to someone?  If, through
computer modelling and facts, I could show you that killing 
a child would prevent untold destruction, could you do it?  Or does a
life mean something?  Before you rip at me, consider this:  I would
dearly love not to have to be in Iraq right now.  I would love to be
able to restore these people's lives whom you speak of in these
tragedies to have their lives restored to some semblance of order.  But
at what cost do we do this?  What price do we put on it?  Do we bring
food and medicines to a people suffering from the aftereffects of a
natural disaster at the cost of genocide?  I think the problem here is
one of ideology and not politics....
 
* If you want to know why we are in Iraq, I think you should 
* track the money.  Where does it really go?  This will be hard 
* to do, of course, because of "national security" (another 
* word for "government corruption.")
* 
* Mike

Show me the percentages...
Yes, big money is part of the reason we are there, maybe a large part,
but I guess 100% humanitarianism is the only reason we should do
anything.  Almost all actions can be traced back to selfishness.  "It
makes me feel good!"  "It is for the best!" etc.,etc., ad nauseum

Sorry for the rant, I really should watch my blood sugar, I get a little
testy when it is low.

Diana Hargus 
 
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