Re: An Open Letter to George W. Bush

From: Peter Smagorinsky (smago@coe.uga.edu)
Date: Wed Mar 19 2003 - 13:35:09 PST


To continue with David's views on the motivation behind the invasion of
Iraq, see
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/wednesday/opinion_e3878110f30f121f00b1.html.
Peter
At 12:50 AM 3/19/2003 -0600, you wrote:

>Hi Derrel.
>Tony Blair is a good man. He seems to be motivated by principle, in
>contrast
>with George W. Bush who is merely opportunistic. Likely some good will come
>from the removal of Saddam from power over Iraq. But don't be misled into
>thinking that this good is the motivation for this campaign. Restoring Iraq
>is an after-thought--an unanticipated cost that Bush finds himself needing
>to pay in the absence of other forms of legitimation. On balance, it's hard
>to take much solace in these peripheral positive accompaniements of the
>destruction of a cooperative world order.
>David Kirshner
>
>___________________________________________
> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> cc:
> bcc: David H Kirshner/dkirsh/LSU
> Subject: Re: An Open Letter to George W. Bush
>Derrel Fincher <Derrel@Fincher.com>
>
>03/19/2003 11:44 AM ZE9
>Please respond to xmca <font size=-1></font>
>
>
>The excerpt below is from Tony Blair's speech
>(http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page3295.asp).
>
>Derrel
>
> >I recall a few weeks ago talking to an Iraqi exile and saying to her that
> >I understood how grim it must be under the lash of Saddam.
> >
> >"But you don't", she replied. "You cannot. You do not know what it is like
> >to live in perpetual fear." And she is right. We take our freedom for
> >granted. But imagine not to be able to speak or discuss or debate or even
> >question the society you live in. To see friends and family taken away and
> >never daring to complain. To suffer the humility of failing courage in
> >face of pitiless terror. That is how the Iraqi people live. Leave Saddam
> >in place and that is how they will continue to live.
> >
> >We must face the consequences of the actions we advocate. For me, that
> >means all the dangers of war. But for others, opposed to this course, it
> >means - let us be clear - that the Iraqi people, whose only true hope of
> >liberation lies in the removal of Saddam, for them, the darkness will
> >close back over them again; and he will be free to take his revenge upon
> >those he must know wish him gone.



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