You are right, my country was not strong (and smart) enough to prevent the US from placing nuclear weapons on our territory.
Yeah, forget about deterrence from the iron boot of Stalinism.
The problem is much more that “the world” can’t do anything (better: a lot) against the USAs will.
I’m sure if “50%” of the world banded together against the US, they could do more than something. US is only one country. Then why haven’t they?
defends “freedom” by cutting down individual rights
The same as how liberals try to take away individual rights. You cannot have the absolute amount of both security and freedom. Guess what, most Americans would choose more security in these times.
And the world can’t / doesn’t do much more than watch, and let their discomfort grow.
A world of 6 billion vs. 275 million. They could do a much more than watch; act much more then they whine.
And let’s have a look at the threat Saddam poses towards the US:
All he could do is provide training and equipment for single persons/ small gangs to infiltrate the US and do damage there. He is not capable of standing an open war against the US. He is capable of bringing more destruction to the areas closer to the Iraq (mainly Israel) though.
You seem to belittle the amount of damage “single persons/ small gangs” can do to the United States. We live in a where one man can be responsible for the deaths of millions. As the events of 9/11 proved, it doesn’t takem many to inflict serve desturction.
combination of force and denial (like: This must never happen again, therefore we kill everyone who we think could do that).
Force and denial? So we should just forget everything that happened and go about completely the same as normal?
To maintain that dream, the USA is using drasric measures, instead of opening their eyes: Instead of trying to adapt to changing times, the USA seems like they want the time to stop at an earlier point.
Yeah, this coming from the “Ecological Axis of Evil.”
but still you said that many of those “hate spewers” would love to have the US’ wealth and standard of living.
I am not too sure of that. Saudia Arabia is a rich land, and one of the most islamic fundamentalist country around.
A rich land in terms of what? Maybe to the wealthy oil princes there, but not to the average Saudi. Most of Saudia Arabia is made up of barren deserts. More than half the country’s people live in Riyadh or Jidda. It also seems strange how Saudi Arabia is also the biggest outlet for US goods in the Mideast.
From what i now, the UN and Iraq are having talks about the terms, but in the first letter the talk was of unrestricted access.
Read on. Saddam no longer wants to allow unrestricted access. He is going against his word the same way he did in 1991 (“unfettered access” - sure :roll:). What does he have to hide. His Prime Minister even said, “Iraq posses no nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.” If this is true, then why the coverup?
Yes, i do believe that. I know there were secret programs in the Reichswehr and the construction of a “state inside the state”, but i haven’t found any evidence (in the net just now or before) that there were inspectors in post WWI germany searching for secret weapon facilities.
All I can say, is read that document. I think it is available for download on the internet.
Even if, would the “lazyness” of our side be enough reason to start a war?
If these UN inspectors do get lax, then I think it is more a reason for the US to take action. The US government should not wait around and let UN do nothing (or conduct only meager efforts)
Counterquestion: did the US and Britain frequently bomb the Iraq without any legal background but in self-proclaimed self-defense?
Without any legal background? Does Iraq have the right to fire on US planes over the 36th and 33rd Parallel? Those US pilots “frequently bombing Iraq” were authorized to attack these weapons sites if fired upon by them, and also to protect Iraq’s ethnic minorities.
You mentioned that growing up in context with a not-changed Iraq……
No, go back and reread my other post before that. It is a future where Iraq has changed for the better.
It tells us to have an open eye on him, to not let it happen again, but it doesn’t tell us that he still is capable of doing it (both mentally or equipment-wise).
No, I even stated before how close Saddam is to developing nuclear weapons and his stockpiles of BC’s. Do you really believe the Prime Minister’s respond, that “Iraq is without any weapons of mass destruction?” Saddam has learned from the mistakes, he now knows how to play the UN as fools.
No, it says “react equivalently” not “react exactly the same way”
React equivalently as in conduct terrorist attacks of our own? So instead of using a plane, we now use a bus?
Did i say “do nothing”?
quote me on that!
Oh then, what should’ve have done? Slap some offical reprimands and sit back?
And please explain that last sentence, i don’t understand what you want to say with that.
You say, “What you would have done is send in some terrorists of your own.'” Except according to your game theory, it’s perfectly right.
to quote you:
You did not answer my question
DS already, gave the evidence supporting the fact that Iraq indeed harbors, trains, and finances terrorist. Therefore, that part of the question is already answered.
For your question: No, and please find where i made any proposal like that (openly arm and train terrorists).
I posed that as a question ->?<-, not as an answer, though it might be what you’re implying.
The alternative would be sending in UN inspectors, they did a good job before, otherwise the Iraq wouldn’t have sent them out!
Even if that were true (which I highly doubt), in this case does that mean, the moment the UN inspectors do a good job of locating such plants, Saddam will send them out again?
exactly…. the ICBM were already poised at you, and still you went mad during the Cuba Crisis… it was just a few more missiles, with a shorter reaction time (the only weak point in my arguing , and i have to bring it myself).
Why do you assume that the Soviets planned a pre-emptive strike? Chrustchev was following a “co-existence” doktrin. Were you afraid because you would have done it and think that your opponent would have done the same?
You call the US cowards, though they were the only ones who stood up to the Soviet Union. I would except MAD from the Soviets, but if they had the capability of pre-emptive first strike, then that is something is get “mad” about. The Soviets may not have planned a pre-emptive strike (remains to be disputed), though the ability to do so with missiles point at the South of the United States is terrible enough.
The russians: yes.
Ha, so the Stalinist actions in Hungary, Berlin Blockade, Afghanistan, ect. were perfectly fine?