First, "how should we remove him"? A better question is "What right do we have to interfere?". I agree he's pissed off the US, and there's evidence he mistreats his populace, but it's none of our business how another country is ruled.
A key element of government, especially U.S. and Canada, is that consent to be governed is derived from the masses. It is obvious Iraq does not have such approval as it has to kill people to stifle public opinion. One of the key things of a society is the need to be able to respectfully disagree. You and I can do that now. People in Iraq cannot.
Second: Your constant assertion that you will be attacked. I agree that attacks will happen, but if the US had just kept it's ass out of other countries' affairs (like it asked Europe to stop meddling with it's affairs before it joined WWII), they wouldn't be a target. Look at Canada, or for that matter, most any country at random -- I doubt seriously that terrorists would go out of their way to hit Iceland, for instance.
I think this is where you are wrong. If we learned anything from both World Wars, we learned that we have to take a more active role in the world. You may not realize it, but the U.S. still accounts for over half the worlds GDP. We may be Trillions of dollars in debt, but our expansive programs help many who are in need everywhere, like the AIDS funds. The fact is we cannot afford to leave the world to it's own design. You may not like the idea of a world police force, but it's a dirty job and someone has to do it.
Third: There is a third option. Diplomacy. I know you'll scoff at that -- after all, there's no chance for you to show off how good you are -- but remember that it's worked in the past. The only feasable option worldwide is to UNILATERALLY, UNIVERSALLY disarm, every country, even the US, rid yourself of that stock of nukes you're sitting on. Enforce it -- to do this, you'll need to grant the UN a military, or found a WORLDWIDE association for this purpose -- like NATO, but global. This is eventually inevitable -- where the only military that exists is the world's, and any aggression is countered without political interference. Use it like a worldwide police.
When exactly did diplomacy work in the past? Delaying the war, maybe. Getting rid of the banned weapons and accounting for the numerous humanitarian violations? I think not. The main problem with the U.N. is they are too weak and too indecisive. The world needs to learn the lesson the U.S. learned under the Articles of Confederation. A body without any power to act, especially when it fails to enforce it's own policy, will never be taken seriously.
QUOTE(Tempest Stormwind @ Mar 21 2003, 12:11 AM)Fourth: Did it ever occur to you that Bush may be on a "jihad" of his own? Oh, sorry, a "Crusade". That word has even worse ramnifications historically than Jihad. And no person is ever raised to hate -- they are raised to live and adopt their own values. Why doesn't the US give them reason to NOT hate them?
I think you should know this situation better than anyone. Moderation decisions always tend to piss off the party being moderated, even if you think you are right and others support it. I could think posting a porn picture in the forum is acceptable and have many others backing me. Would that make me right? There is no definite answer for this as neither side is right. However, when it comes to the unjust treatment of people, especially the wrongful slaughtering of humans, we have the right as humans to protect our comman man.
QUOTE(Tempest Stormwind @ Mar 21 2003, 12:11 AM)
Finally: You admit to objectifying human beings. If we lose sight of that fact, then we are no better than those fanatics you mention. Besides, crocodiles and lions kill for FOOD. We seem to kill for FUN or PROFIT. Also, your analogy is flawed: A lion never attacks a human except for defense, and cannot be spoken to like another human can. Besides, I don't kill lions because they COULD kill others. I might be forced to in self-defence, but I WOULD NOT STRIKE PREEMPTIVELY. Could you imagine if the police acted like this?
"Well, Bob, you have a knife in your home, so you MIGHT attack your neighbor in it. You're busted for conspiracy to commit murder."
(You may find that familiar: It's similar to the outlook your country had to the Soviets during the Cold War.)
-Tempest out.-