From: Michael M. Butler (mmb@spies.com)
Date: Wed May 28 2003 - 19:55:40 MDT
On Wed, 28 May 2003 14:18:39 -0700, Damien Sullivan
<phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu> wrote:
> On Tue, May 27, 2003 at 05:55:45PM -0700, Michael M. Butler wrote:
>
>> BTW, "resist" != "overthrow". And the expression "strong gun culture" is
>> a very peculiar one. Whee did you get it, pray? From any of the people
>> who
>
>> From the article, if you read it.
My sarcasm was insufficently pointed. Very well. Substitute "Where did
*they* get it?<see PS>" and the point remains. The "strong culture" of
Ba'ath oppression was well in place in 1991. They were the ones with the
guns, and the torture chambers, and they methodically took apart resistance
for many years. After decades of oppression, and an effective purge of the
"tall poppies" in 1991, you seem to be surprised that the populus of Iraq
didn't turn on a dime this Spring.
Could it just be that they thought it was too risky, and were biding their
time, waiting for the dust to settle? Is this somehow remarkable?
I notice you didn't respond to any other part of my post. *Shrug*. Our
mutual loss.
MMB
PS: most of the press that I've seen that uses that expression has an axe
to grind in a stereotypical direction: anti-"cold dead hands", anti-Heston,
etc. -- in effect, "pro-nobody-needs-guns-and-people-who-talk-as-if-they-
did-are-scary".
Have you considered the possbility that the expression betrays a bias? It
seems like code to me.
-- I am not here to have an argument. I am here as part of a civilization. Sometimes I forget.
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