tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15423117.post115850364842384970..comments2023-07-20T13:13:38.728+03:00Comments on JoeSettler: Why is the US still in Iraq?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15423117.post-1161559575515247002006-10-23T01:26:00.000+02:002006-10-23T01:26:00.000+02:00Whew. Who knew I was going to start getting quoted...Whew. Who knew I was going to start getting quoted all around the Internet. I wouldn’t have written things so black and white, and perhaps might have made certain statements clearer or less generalized. That’ll teach me.<BR/><BR/>I want to clarify a few points.<BR/><BR/>I don’t believe that Arabs are predisposed to requiring certain types of governments to control their behavior. I think that their cultural/religious/political history and situation has them currently lock-stepped into this bad direction that keeps dragging them down further.<BR/><BR/>There is the point, that pretty much every major Arab and Islamic country on this particular side of the Middle East is a tyranny of one sort or another (including Jordan btw), which by definition requires an external enemy for the regime to exploit to maintain their control, usually it’s Israel, but it needn’t always be, just that Jews are the easiest target.<BR/> <BR/>Some require more hatred, some less, but the boycott of Israeli products is official in pretty much every Arab state including Kuwait, Qatar and so on (even if it unofficially overlooked when they need something that happens to be made in Israel – then the labeling companies do good business).<BR/><BR/>Furthermore, I am sure that much of what is going on specifically in Iraq has the not-so-invisible hand of Iran guiding/supplying it, just like it does for Hizbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in reoccupied Israel.<BR/><BR/>Iran has a vested interest in both keeping the US otherwise occupied in Iraq and in democracy failing to take off there to prevent the US from taking active intervention in overthrowing Iran.<BR/><BR/>As for my opinion of Arabs, you’d all probably be quite mistaken, as I interact quite amiably with a number of my Arab neighbors nearly every day. <BR/>That doesn’t mean I don’t recognize that they represent an opposing position that makes most of them my political (and as a result, potentially mortal) enemy. <BR/><BR/>On the other hand, just because some of their relatives blow themselves up, or shoot at passing cars, doesn’t mean they all do - though it makes sense to recognize that any number of internal or external compulsions can easily convert my friendly plumber into a suicide bomber (as has been known to happen).<BR/><BR/>Personally, I find Arab society (and individuals) to generally be warm and friendly, but one that is unfortunately awash with a religious/political outlook that simply spoils the good and locks them into negative behavior patterns (honor killings, violent internecine warfare, subjugation of women, despotism, etc.).<BR/><BR/>If you do look at my neighbors like Syria, Jordan (remember Black September), Egypt, the PA, and even Lebanon – unless the local rulers do maintain a heavy hand, things do tend to become a free-for-all degenerating the society back down to their tribal and religious affiliations where anyone then shoots or blows up whomever they want.<BR/><BR/>I originally thought the US would succeed in Iraq, but religious and political factionalism and Iran’s interference is constantly making that less and less likely. I think the US needs to go after the roots drivers of Islamic fundamentalism and remove them (I can’t decide whether Saudi Arabia or Iran is the preferred first target).<BR/><BR/>In the meantime, I have relatives fighting in Iraq in the US military and it is scary to see the losses the US is facing daily because it has let itself stop moving forward in the war against Islamic terror.JoeSettlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01232647820807408898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15423117.post-1158594639630220292006-09-18T18:50:00.000+03:002006-09-18T18:50:00.000+03:00As a former American who thinks America is one of ...As a former American who thinks America is one of the best things the goyim ever came up with, it makes me want to cry when I hear about American casualties in that cesspool in Iraq. All the soldiers want to do is help, and all they get in response is hate from an ungrateful people. Bush, who claims to be "fighting terrorism" couldn't really have that as the reason the US is there because he SUPPORTED Islamic terrorism by pushing for the disastrous destruction of Gush Katif and the election (which he also pressed for) which brought HAMAS to power. Bush is no friend of Israel...his only friends in the Middle East is the Saudi Royal family who did much to bring the 9/11 attack on the US. Sick.bar_kochba132https://www.blogger.com/profile/17690906721153698480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15423117.post-1158541259547062792006-09-18T04:00:00.000+03:002006-09-18T04:00:00.000+03:00Tough question.I think the US made a mistake getti...Tough question.<BR/><BR/>I think the US made a mistake getting bogged down in Iraq. <BR/><BR/>Specifically after winning they should have demanded that the UN go in and start democratizing the country - as if the UN were capable of that.<BR/><BR/>The US should have taken a rolling policy, take down Iraq, roll on to Iran, take down Iran, roll on the Saudi Arabia.<BR/><BR/>That way the enemy would have been unable to gain momentum and hit back.<BR/><BR/>-Just a thought-JoeSettlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01232647820807408898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15423117.post-1158532689864268412006-09-18T01:38:00.000+03:002006-09-18T01:38:00.000+03:00Joe,What would you call success?Joe,<BR/><BR/>What would you call success?Jack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.com