Hmmm.. . I was seriously pissed with the views of stupid idiot at the
www.Channelnewsasia.com/showdown forum, so i typed this out and tried to post it there, but somehow couldn't work. . . lucky i typed out in notepad, else would have lost the thing. . .dunno why i can't post on the CNA forums. . . decided to post it here:
I am highly in support of the war effort in Iraq and would like to express my opinions.
While many were worried about the Aacademy Awards not being able to reflect the mood of the war, I feel that this should not have been our main concern.
Actors and actresses are by nature outspoken people. And many of them are against the war effort in Iraq. However, is it morally right to oppose the war NOW? At this juncture in time when thousands of US troops are in combat zones in Iraq? How would opposing the war effort do any good? When the acceptance speeches of the various winners are used to criticise the US war effort, I feel it is not doing justice to the fact that US troops are risking their lives in the gulf.
I am also puzzled by the 'No Blood for Oil' slogan, one which has recieved mass appeal among anti-war protestors. We should ask ourselves if the US is actually fighting for more oil. If the countries in the coalition really wanted more oil from Iraq, wouldn't it make more sense, both politically AND economically, to lift UN sanctions on Iraq? Also, if cheaper oil ws available to US consumers, then where would the small-time oil producers in the US find their business? It is also worth noting that many of these small-time producers showed great support for Bush during the elections and that as such, Bush would not want to alienate them.
Slogans such as 'Babies vs. Bombs' also do not make any sense. There is no specific campaign to bomb Iraqi babies that I am aware of. Would we rather that these babies grow up in a hostile and oppressive country with little links to the outside world? Or should we take a chance and give these babies a chance at growing up in a more friendly environment.
People all over the world want peace. I want peace too, despite the fact that I am in support of military action taken against Iraq. However, my idea of peace is very very different from that of the anti-war protestors. My idea of peace is a stable world where WMD do NOT lie in the hands of dictators, and that peace is brought to people on a larger scale. The idea of peace for many anti-war protestors is that of everything continuing as is and with no major wars that will destabilise their precious economy or cause the price of their household items to rise.
For those who question why the US attacked Iraq first instead of North Korea, my opinion is that it is because Iraq is sitting on alot of oil. No the US does not want this oil for itself at ridiculously low prices. However, the fact that Iraq has oil allows it to barter or sell this oil through the black market in return for more weapons. Iraq's ability to build up a powerful armed forces with WMD is much higher than that of Nort Korea's due to Iraq's oil resources.
Many countries and protestors have complained about the US going to war without the backing of the United Nations. My point of view is that is it the entire United Nations or is it a select few with a loud voice, for example France?
Remember that the French were responsible for helping Iraq build the Osirak nuclear facility to produce plutonium and that it was eventually the Israelis who had to bomb this nuclear facility before it went operational. This does not make the French very credible and proves that they are not exactly very discerning. While the US once supplied Iraq with weapons, the French almost gave them the ability to create their own nuclear weapons!
If those out there protesting against the war effort really cared about the Iraqi people, why did they not help the Iraqi masses in the first place through humanitarian aid? Why only now does their 'care' for the Iraqi people show? Is it because in this case, not only do the Iraqis suffer, the protestors themselves stand to lose from higher market prices? Many anti-war protestors have not even thought about why the US is going to war. It is my view that many are simply joining in such protests so that they can FEEL like they're part of something big.
The number of assasination attempts on Saddam, coupled with his few live public appearances, bear testimony to his popularity among the Iraqi people. The tactics that he has used to ensure the survival of his military also shows he lack of concern for his own people. Actions such as using his own civilians to shield his soldiers and placing targets of high military importance in civilian areas play upon the fact that the US government rational and is restrained by many forces, which include that of public opinion, which do not allow them the indiscriminate massacre of civilians. Iraq knows that the US are unlikely to attack their military installations if these are placed in civilian localities, or that the US has a high chance of hitting Iraqi civilians, which will be a publicity boost for the Iraqi government since it puts the US government in bad light.
Those who have read the news will also know that Iraq has claimed that its FARMERS have shot down 2 US AH-64D Longbow Apache choppers. If this were true, doesn't it mean that Iraqi civilians should also qualify as targets? Since they pick up arms and take a hostile action against opposing forces, they shouldn't be protected by the Geneva Convention and therefore are legitimate targets. But can and will the US attack this hostile part of the civilian population? I doubt so because the US government will once again be restrained by politics and public opinion on such an issue.
In conclusion, the US is right in its war effort against Iraq. Their actions will help bring about greater peace than the combined actions of all the anti-war protestors.
PS. Note that I do not consider all peace activists anti-war protestors. There is a difference in being anti-war and wanting peace because there are occasions when war can actually help to conclusively stabilise an unstable region by removing a rogue power. The current situation in Iraq is one good example.
Also, for those who wonder why US is persecuting so many Muslims, read the writings of Dr. Akbar Ahmed, and Islamic scholar and Professor of International Relations. There is no problem with Islam, the problem is the interpretation of Islam by a few sick individuals.