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Liberal leaps of logic

Reader comment on item: Iraq's Weapons & The Road to War

Submitted by David Wolf (United States), Jun 4, 2003 at 16:08

Leave it to a Canadian to assail our administration n the grounds of "Lying".

How can someone with absolutely no connection to the bureaucracy, or the machinations of the US state department, declare in such a pat manner, that Bush and Blair "...lied.They knew they were lying."
How do you know that?

Point by point, no country was "destroyed"- the vast, overwhelming majority of the physical damage to Iraq was done by Saddam's minions before and during the war. We know that they deliberately allowed certain parts of the civilian infrastructure to disappear- for the purpose of punishing certain segments of the populace, and so he could trot any left-leaning journalists (Europeans) to the site and proclaim it was damaged or dilapidated as the result of US-led sanctions. When you weigh those situations skeptically, which you apparently don't,rather than swallowing the liberal party line, you can only deduce that in the face of Saddam's years of profiteering at the expense of absolutely every aspect of non-miliatry society, you can only conclude that Saddam was really to blame.
As far as the Iraqi's ability to "threaten" anyone, just what do you think they were doing for the last 12 years in spite of their defeat in GW1? Having the abilty to hit a mall in downtown Kuwait City certainly constitutes the abilty to harm others, and certainly obviates your contention to the contrary.
Finally, your use of the age-old liberal canard that somehow people in a mass grave could be complicit in their own death is ludicrous- niether did they get themselves murdered, nor did the US get them murdered. Saddam did it. Past failings of US (or any other country ) foriegn policy is no reason to impugn their every act the way you try to with that statement.

The French built Iraq a nuclear reactor of the type specifically prohibited by the IAEA, but the Israelis were condemned for destroying it. Aren't we all grateful that they did, in hindsight? Are you savaging the French in the same manner- that a past wrong is license to condemn every act? Where is your scorn for the French, who to this very day support regimes in their former colonies that practice human bondage? By your logic, the French are just as much to blame for the war in Iraq.
Way to ascribe your negativity to an entire government!
People who are predisposed to be contrary to authority always rely on specious and mostly rhetorical arguments based on sheer sentimentality.

Let me ask you this- what do you make of the extraordinary levels of cyclosarin and VX components found by the allies in the Tigris and Euphrates immediately upon arriving in Iraq? They're not naturally-occurring chemicals, you know.
What of the mobile laboratories that have been found ( exactly as they were described by Iraqi defectors )? Are you expert enough to offer an opinion on whatever non-military uses they might have, or are you dismissing them out of hand because you're inclined to disbelief?

For anyone with half an open mind, those finds confirm our government's contentions. Keep in mind, they have had more than a decade to hide their intent- notably the several months of saber-rattling before the war. Why is shocking to you that nothing (that you find satisfying) has been found, and why are you so condemning only 8 weeks after the end of fighting? Has your patience run out, or were you more likely champing at the bit to indict the allies?

Try to imagine that some things occur outside the sphere of your understanding- that your belief that Bush et al were "lying" may be just your belief.

DW
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Reader comments (48) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Why do people forget the truth? [145 words]Sonja G LarkinNov 18, 2005 19:0728603
I'm right [39 words]Paul M. NevilleJun 11, 2003 21:309519
The War's Critics Should Stop Trying to Rewrite History..... [284 words]JJun 11, 2003 18:199509
Iraq's Weapons and the Road to War [523 words]Dick SartainJun 10, 2003 23:099480
Comprehension Failure [203 words]Robert ArsenaultJun 10, 2003 13:299443
They (Purposefully?) Don't Get [121 words]TerryJun 9, 2003 13:559426
unilateral promise keeping [68 words]daniel coshnearJun 9, 2003 12:209424
looking for a reason to justify this war... [41 words]ElsJun 9, 2003 06:249422
you surpass your commenters [78 words]William KinneyJun 8, 2003 20:569420
cat/mouse game [40 words]Nomi KaplanJun 7, 2003 15:509415
Kudos [21 words]Charles BartlesonJun 7, 2003 01:419412
Excellent analysis [119 words]Gene AmerineJun 6, 2003 12:249408
The elephant in the room to the south.... [833 words]Matthew KennelJun 5, 2003 18:179402
Why the recent war took place. [296 words]Steve TJun 5, 2003 06:549398
Saddam's Game [19 words]Elizabeth MarksJun 4, 2003 18:209393
Good Words, But... [48 words]Gene BehlJun 4, 2003 18:099392
Liberal leaps of logic [601 words]David WolfJun 4, 2003 16:089389
Nah! [291 words]Robert B. ArbetmanJun 4, 2003 14:219386
No sense [133 words]Glenn KlotzJun 4, 2003 14:089385
Credibility Mr. Pipes [37 words]George TanakisJun 4, 2003 13:449384
The Ultimate Sum of Fears, the Path not Taken. [1977 words]tom watsonJun 4, 2003 13:349383
North Korea comes next. [53 words]Alan SullivanJun 4, 2003 12:279379
Thanks for helping me understand [93 words]Thomas ArthurJun 4, 2003 11:329378
Chemical WMD [43 words]Alan GerlachJun 4, 2003 10:299376
You are correct [76 words]YoniJun 4, 2003 09:589375
That's not the Justification Bush and Blair Used [75 words]Matt PackJun 4, 2003 05:109371
Sorry for the rudimentary parallel and language but... [149 words]A LenceskiJun 4, 2003 02:469370
Response to Kevin lee: Big failure in elementary logic [167 words]Philippe StephensonJun 3, 2003 22:489364
Double standard [94 words]Larry RogulJun 3, 2003 19:479358
Good Chronology [21 words]Stan CharlesJun 3, 2003 18:259356
Lack of Intellectual Honesty [77 words]Larry KletterJun 3, 2003 17:409355
OBSTRUCTION [54 words]GRAHAM RAEL-BROOKJun 3, 2003 17:209354
WMD [18 words]Bernard C. BarthJun 3, 2003 16:579353
The reasons and rationales [558 words]SheerahkahnJun 3, 2003 16:179351
Don't change the topic [114 words]Eric WeitzmanJun 3, 2003 15:289350
Invasion of Iraq and Elusive WMD [111 words]Carol MizrahiJun 3, 2003 15:249349
Finding Weapons of Mass destruction does count [104 words]Anne ClouseJun 3, 2003 15:249348
Exactly right [48 words]David C. StolinskyJun 3, 2003 15:149347
Not true, Dr. Pipes. [122 words]Tyson ValeJun 3, 2003 14:229344
What a Wonderful War [148 words]T. A. CallaghanJun 3, 2003 14:109343
Moslem Countries Should Let Palestinians Become Nationals [137 words]Marc WeisburgJun 3, 2003 13:319341
WMDs were the decisive reason [82 words]Lawrence AusterJun 3, 2003 11:509340
To do one's duty is always a good thing... [80 words]Alain Jean-MairetJun 3, 2003 10:239339
Failure of elementary logic [158 words]Kevin LeeJun 3, 2003 10:019337
With all due respect... [125 words]PlatosearwaxJun 3, 2003 09:509336
Mistaken Reasoning [363 words]Project2012Jun 3, 2003 09:199334
You're moving the goalposts [206 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
David MikesellJun 3, 2003 09:049333
The inspectors were withdrawn, not kicked out. [109 words]Marc PienaarJun 3, 2003 04:569331

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