[lit-ideas] Re: Willie Pete

  • From: Eric Yost <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2005 12:26:56 -0500

Judy: 1. we all know about Saddam, it should not be necessary for posters here concerned about current violence in Iraq to add a disclaimer to every post saying they are aware of Saddam's mass murders.
2. and that has been said before here...
3. your reply to Andy is cheap



Eric: On the contrary, it should be necessary to consider the entire context of the current violence in Iraq, and that includes the oppression from which the Iraqis have been freed, and the oppression from which they seek to free themselves in future. (And yes, that includes the occupation but is by no means limited to it.)


Remember for example that this thread concerns febrile handwringing about ALLEGED use of white phosphorus smoke devices, ALLEGED use of napalm-like substance against military targets, and utterly fantastic claims of the use of poison gas.

We all pity Iraqi noncombatants caught in the crossfire, disfigured, burned, killed, wounded, and otherwise damaged. But what is the context? They were slaughtered under Saddam. They were slaughtered by their local militia leaders. They were tried and slaughtered by al-Qaeda mobsters (was glad to read we bombed the hell out of one of their jury-rigged courtrooms). Then a small number were accidentally killed in ongoing combat, as almost always happens in warfare. And from all this carnage to single out US troops for vilification and outrage is as myopic as it is hypocritical.

Add to that the insane claims about poison gas--the germ of this thread--and you have a lynching of the least culpable, the poor enlisted joes and janes.

Finally, you call my reply to Andy cheap, when Andy has accused the US of genocide. Read his post. Or maybe you support his genocide thesis?


------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html

Other related posts: