Quote: He's saying that 9/11 was a wake up call
In other words, it pissed Americans off.
Quote:that we can't have brutal dictators
I fail to see the connection between the Sept. 11 massacre and dictatorship, brutal or otherwise.
Don't get me wrong. I would welcome a new era of foreign policy idealism in which America consistently stands for government with the consent of the governed. It would sure help atone for the past, a past which has seen our government cozy up to dictators (including Saddam) and even despose democratically elected leaders (e.g., <a href='http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB8/nsaebb8i.htm' target='_blank'>Salvador Allende</a>).
What I don't see is how Sept. 11, 2001 marks a break with the realpolitik of the past or even logically leads us there.
If Gulf War II is really about idealism, why would our government insist on breaking international law and incurring the wrath of most other world governments to pursue it?
No, Sept. 11, 2001 did not thurst America into a new era of foreign policy idealism. That was made clear last year, when George Bush instantly and unabashedly cheered a coup that briefly deposed Hugo Chavez, the democratically-elected president of Venezuela. Indeed, some suspect Bush had <a href='http://www.progressive.org/webex/wx041902.html' target='_blank'>advance warning of the coup.</a>
Bush is no idealist and this war isn't about idealism. It's about paranoia -- a new foreign policy of paranoia and pre-emption.
Quote:with a past history of terrorism
In Israel and Turkey. Not here. And, (sarcasm) with Turkey so supportive of this war (/sarcasm), the terrorist angle really comes down to this: We are at war defending right wing Israeli zealots who build settlements in territory they have no business being.
Sure, that sounds like a huge stretch. Fine. One might argue this war isn't about Israel. I won't dispute that. But make the argument that this war isn't about Israel, and the terrorism angle evaporates. The only other target of Iraqi-supported terror was Turkey, and Turkey didn't want this war.
Quote:and oppression
Again, I don't see the connection between Sept. 11, 2001 and oppression.
Quote:Saddam has and would have continued to support terrorism.
The Kurdish PKK movement that operated in Turkey was broken up years ago. That leaves terrorism in Israel. Is that what this is about? Does that justify this war? If so, wouldn't that make Al Jazeera well... right?
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