Comments on: Free stickers

By: Nabakov

Nabakov — Thu, 27 May 2004 05:50:41 +0000

“I’m saving this post as one to viciously flaunt when Iraq becomes a stable and magnificent democracy. Thanks — keep them coming!” I’m saving this comment to viciously flaunt when Iraq slumps into a 3rd world client state ruled by a corrupt oligarchy propped up by US ‘advisors” and big oil. Can anyone say “Nigeria”?

By: decon

decon — Wed, 26 May 2004 23:02:55 +0000

Of course a few Iraqis MAY be better off. It all depends on how nasty the next bit becomes. At best we will have simply reshuffled who will be persecuted. And in the best case, we might, after many more deaths, have a slightly more gentle central dictatorship. At worst we have anarchy, followed by civil war, followed by God only knows what kind of nastiness. And what of American interests? We have already suffered several thousand casualties. Our international alliances and friendships necessary to combatting international terrorism have been frayed to the breaking point. And we, by our belligerence, barbarity at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere, and incompetence, are daily swelling the ranks of the terrorists arrayed against us. And this of course does not bode well for our moderate friends in the muslim world. We are all losers from this unforunate debacle. But the deck chairs! Yes, they are very pretty.

By: Nat Whilk

Nat Whilk — Wed, 26 May 2004 15:11:42 +0000

Decon wrote: “ it’s more like smashing the deck chairs to bits, partially rebuilding a few of them, and then bragging about what a fine Captain you are” A Titanic that had hit an iceberg, had its deck chairs smashed to bits, and had a few of them partially rebuilt would be in every way worse off than before all that happened, right? Should I read into your analogy that you think Iraq is in every way worse off than it was back when Saddam was in control?

By: Rajeev Advani

Rajeev Advani — Wed, 26 May 2004 06:16:36 +0000

I’m saving this post as one to viciously flaunt when Iraq becomes a stable and magnificent democracy. Thanks—keep them coming!

By: decon

decon — Wed, 26 May 2004 06:01:46 +0000

Why goodness no, I wouldn’t refer to the accomplishments listed on the USAID website as bunk! It is, however, a bit like bragging about the artful arrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic. Actually, it’s more like smashing the deck chairs to bits, partially rebuilding a few of them, and then bragging about what a fine Captain you are. An accomplishment for sure, icebergs be damned.

By: Morgoth

Morgoth — Tue, 25 May 2004 23:56:27 +0000

Hey, I guess ole’ Saddam knew how to keep order eh? Nothing like gassing ten thousand people to keep those troublesome villagers in line eh?

By: Nat Whilk

Nat Whilk — Tue, 25 May 2004 23:46:38 +0000

Sigivald wrote: "Kinda like Eisenhower did a splendid job of bringing Anarchy to Germany and Japan, eh? Bad ol’ Ike." Apparently, tens of thousands of German POWs died in American custody. If, as we've heard so often recently, the fish rots from the head down, I guess Eisenhower (or Truman?) was responsible. For shame! Decon wrote: "I thought we were discussing what Bush has accomplished. " I suppose all the stuff here is bunk. ". . . an oil rich tribal desert . . ." I didn't realize that oil and desert were so inconducive to democracy. No wonder things are so rough in West Texas.

By: decon

decon — Tue, 25 May 2004 22:40:19 +0000

Oh, my mistake. I thought we were discussing what Bush has accomplished. I now see we are discussing what Bush might accomplish if we close our eyes, forget what we know about the difficulty of building sustainable democratic processes in an oil rich tribal desert, and really, really, really wish for the best.

By: Sigivald

Sigivald — Tue, 25 May 2004 22:09:39 +0000

Yes. Anarchy is bad. Better dictatorship, if there’s any lack of order in the transition. I mean, unless there’s Total Order, we might as well never do anything. Mission Never Even Started! Bad ol’ Bush. (Kinda like Eisenhower did a splendid job of bringing Anarchy to Germany and Japan, eh? Bad ol’ Ike.)

By: decon

decon — Tue, 25 May 2004 19:52:09 +0000

In point of fact, Bush has done a perfectly splendid job of bringing Anarchy to Iraq. Anarchists for Bush ‘04.

By: enzo

enzo — Tue, 25 May 2004 18:38:33 +0000

how about ‘mess accomplished’?