Thread: FRENCH PEOPLE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE AMERICANS

Originally Posted by Bootsie

But we have brutal dictatorships all over the world--one 90 miles off of our coast--and we sure can't "liberate" them all. I just feel that going to war should be in the interests of protecting our nation from threats to our own country. I certainly don't argue the point that Saddam was brutal but so are so many others.

We, in fact, helped prop up the Saddam regime in the past. Some try to say that is why we should do nothing about it. But to me, that is precisely what makes it our moral responsibility. We created the monster, it is our obligation to kill it. My momma taught me that it was my responsability to clean up my own messes.

Also--it seems to me that, given the choice, the Iraqi people would have preferred what they had to what they have now. That seems to be the consensus. They sure don't appear grateful for our sacrifice. They don't seem to feel that their lives are any better.

Polls show otherwise. The polls indiacte the vast majority feel that they are better off with Saddam gone, even with the inconveniences of elecricity going off etc, which occured under Saddam as well. The main difference in THAT arena is that when the electricity is turned off now, it is not because the people in power are wanting to punish this or that village.

IF a democracy takes hold, and I think that really IS a big IF, they eventually might feel differently but, right now all they are seeing is death and destruction and absence of law and order. They sure didn't greet us with open arms as we had been promised. I tell ya--we were misled about SO MANY things that it is difficult for me to trust anything else they tell us.

I might suggest that ya crack open a history book sometime and read a bit about how long it took to fully stabilize Europe after the war officially ended. Thousands of Americans died after the war was over, from actions by die-hard nazis, and it lasted for several years.

One further thing I would like ya to ponder, while you are busy with this love-fest with the French. Saddams own top men say that Saddam did not really believe, right up to the last, that we would really invade. They also say the reason he did not believe it is because his good friends in France, Germany, and Russia were assuring him that they would be able to stop us diplomatically.

What this scenario reminds me of is when some little guy, who would never confront a big guy face to face, gets a few big friends who, while they talk tough to him, are not really willing to fight for him. When that happens, the little guy often gets cocky.. thinking he can get in the big guys face and screw with him.. because he believes that with his buddies standing behind him, the guy he is screwing with will not do anything.

Unfortunatly, Saddams big buddies were not going to be able to stop us diplomatically, and they sure as hell were not willing to fight for him. France and the others could probably have prevented the war, but not in the manner they took. If they had been smart, instead of telling Saddam "We will stop the Americans".. they should have told him "Look, we think Bush is going to do this, you better straighten up and cooperate". If they had told him the latter, it is likely that he would have capitulated, allowing the inspectors, and leaving Bush with egg on his face, for having gone to the expense of a deployment and then doing nothing. Right up to the last, Saddam could have averted the war by simply allowing inspectors in and unfettered access. If he had done that, Bush would have never had the political backing at home to invade. By telling Saddam that an invasion would never happen, the French and others guaranteed it WOULD happen.

Originally Posted by Bootsie

I wasn't quoting ANYONE when I used the word "stupid". It was an analogy of what I would do if I saw a friend doing something stupid. Would I blindly jump in and do the same thing or would I try to convince them otherwise. Likewise with Iraq--if the allies who supported us in Afghanistan thought that our going to Iraq was stupid, are they obligated to blindly follow us or stand up to us and follow their own convictions.

She was not asking who YOU were quoting, she was saying she was not sure who I was quoting. YOU were who I was quoting. I know what your analogy was.. but it is based on the assumption that the invasion WAS stupid.. which is not one I particularly agree with.