RE: Iraq: the case for decisive action

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Mon Jan 20 2003 - 03:01:01 MST


Ron writes

> rkoch@rkoch.org writes:
> > This is a UN embargo. A Freudian? (World==America==USA ?)

Well, one can't win this argument. If one refers to it
as a UN embargo, then the rejoinder is "Nyah! At the
behest of the United States!", whereas if one says "the
U.S. Embargo", then it's evidence of self-centeredness. ;-)

> Actually I thought that America is the big continent
> composed of South and North America.
>
> Rudiger,
> That comment has been made many times by many people that also live on
> the Continent of America.

Yes, this is pretty old stuff. The term "United Statesian" doesn't
work. Worse, there are other "United States", e.g. Mexico. We all
in this discussion can't help what the common terms are.

> We never deny there are other besides us on this continent. However
> we are the Country of America as we are the only one to my knowledge that
> featured that name in naming our country.

Maybe, or just the first to do so. In any case, the U.S. is the
most prominent of those so doing.

> But let me go back in time. You as a German probably don't have a
> full grasp how thoroughly your people have penetrated this society nor how
> far back in our history that occurred. For example when we first became a
> nation and chose a language for ourselves German was the largest single
> ethnic group we had. However they were outnumbered by the English, Irish &
> Scots (all speaking English) so you lost the decision.

I have read that more Americans list descent from Germans than
list descent from any other ethnic group. Which is to say that
the German immigrants interbred at a very high rate with everyone
else. I also have a German acquaintance who is in denial of this
fact. :-)

> We don't wish to bully you or anyone. We don't wish to disrupt your
> trade. On the other hand we will continue to attack those that have attacked
> or threatened to attack us.
> We prefer to have your blessings and your assistance. If not we are a
> sovereign nation and we will get the job done on our own.

I shall try to list 20 countries at random. Russia, Netherlands, Portugal,
Germany, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Canada, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad &
Tobago, Vietnam, Zaire, Malaya, Nicaragua, Libya, Brazil, Central African
Empire, Bulgaria, Greece. (Never mind my method---it was pretty flaky and
did not produce the hoped for randomness.)

How many of them feel intimidated by the United States? That is,
how many are under pressure from the U.S. to do this or that? How
many feel threatened?

Bullies make one feel threatened, and are intimidating. I think
that the situation would be far different if Iraq (a) did not
contain an administration that within recent memory invaded
an innocent nearby country, (b) did not use nerve gas on its
own people as well as an enemy, was not under the reign of a
cruel and brutal dictator, and had not for many years been
openly in defiance of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

(See "Saddam's Bombmaker: The Terrifying Inside Story
of the Iraqi Nuclear and Biological Weapons Agenda by Khidr Abd
Al-Abbas Hamzah, Jeff Stein (Collaborator), Khidhir Hamza", at
Amazon or elsewhere.)

So just why would other countries on my list above
feel threatened?

Lee



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