[kj] OT: Post-Election Blues

[Mark Kolmar]

On Sat, 06 Nov 2004 13:47:43 -0500, Matthew Burke <marsboy1 at msn.com> wrote:
> Operations like Iraq are seldom done for one reason. Oil is certainly a
> factor, but I think geostrategic importance is a biggie. This is why we're
> building 8 permanent forward bases in Iraq, regardless of how long we stay
> for "security". 

In terms of Realpolitik, let's face it -- That would allow the U.S. to
stick it to Saudi Arabia in a way the U.S. economy probably could not
handle because the gears are greased with Saudi oil.

I have a lot of ambivalence about the Iraq war, but as far as the
current situation, and a better situation, and how you get from here
to there -- probably  one move in that 9-dimensional chess game is
Saddam Hussein had to fall. As an alternative, I don't think it would
have been morally acceptable to allow that regime to grow its power if
the sanctions were ever lifted. In other words, try to differentiate
between the reasons for the war, and the horrible sales job and the
inept execution of it.

I do think it would have been possible, with some patience, to turn
Hussein into more or less the mayor of Baghdad -- he was close to that
already -- and finally remove him from that job also.

> The fundamentalist rhetoric works for votes, even though there are those in
> the administration that believe it, and further believe that Jesus won't
> return unless we preserve Israel (they fail to mention Jews will go to hell
> after the judgment).

It's not only that, but they believe the Palestinians would need to be
ejected from the occupied territories, and that land would need to
become part of Israel proper.  Nutty.

--Mark