NetRodent

Bullshit! Peace has been given over ten years of chances. Saddam has had over ten years to disarm but he never made more than a token gesture to do so. Eventually, Iraq expelled the weapons inspectors and Clinton did virtually nothing. Only recently, after the US started moving troops to the region did Iraq allow the weapons inspectors back in. Only under the threat of being deposed did Saddam release an account of Iraqi weapons development. Now the French want 30 more days for Iraq to comply. 30 more days?!?! They had ten whole years! 30 days isn't going to make a difference.

Now some people are going to say that this isn't about disarmament, but its about oil. If the US wanted Iraqi oil (like so many believed at the time) they would have taken it in 1991. It would have been so easy to continue to on Baghdad, but Bush Sr. stopped the war and the borders were set as they were prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. If this was all about the US lusting for oil, do you really think the sanctions against Iraq that limit the amount of oil it can sell would still be in place? Of course not. It obviously is not about oil.

So why now? Why are the US, Britain, and a few others rushing to war even though there is widespread opposition? Are the leaders of those countries insane? Or is more likely that they know more about the situation in Iraq than all the armchair politicians and are scared shitless by it?

Personally, I'm a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing. On one hand I have no love of Saddam Hussein. I think he should have been deposed during the first Gulf war. On the other hand, I think a dangerous precedent is being set by circumventing the UN. I also think the US hasn't made a convincing case to public about why it is we have to do this.

Here is my theory (yes, I too am an armchair politician). Currently, Iraq is a "rogue state". Its population has endured 20 years of wars and sanctions. Its economy is in shambles. Its population is largely cut off from the rest of the world. It is ruled by a dictator with little to lose. It was (and may still be) engaged in developing "weapons of mass destruction" (ugh, I am so sick of that phrase). Such a country is very dangerous. One only needs to look at Germany after WWI to see what happens.
Iraq needs to be reintegrated into the community of nations and allowed to rebuild its national dignity. The sanctions need to be lifted. Its economy needs to be rebuilt. Its people need to have contact with the rest of the world and the rest of the world needs to have contact with them. Iraq needs to be given something to lose. And why does this have to be done? Not for the benefit of the Iraqi people (although they will benefit) but for benefit of the world. In other words a few people may die now, to avoid the deaths of thousands later.

__________________
"Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."
--H.L. Mencken

AdultNex

Well, it's too late, bud. Good try.

NetRodent

You missed the point. Peace has been given enough chances. This war has been a long time coming and it is a good thing (as far as wars go).

The only solution to this problem, that would be better than the impending war is if the Iraqi people rose up and deposed Saddam. It happened to Mussolini, lets hope it happens to Saddam.

__________________
"Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."
--H.L. Mencken