War

davidb

Posted: 28.03.2003, 14:26

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What do you make of the war? It'd be interesting to share our opinions on

- whether it's justified

- how it's being conducted

- its implications for international relations

and so on.

NB People may have very different views, so let's all be particularly tolerant! That's not meant to stifle debate - feel free to argue your point, but be nice

Alice

Posted: 28.03.2003, 20:46

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Okay, my views on the war might seem quite simplistic, but here they are:

I really hate war and think that pretty much every situation can be resolved without resorting to it. In any war people who have nothing to do with it are killed, and the legacy of war lives on for many, many years afterwards (in the form of land-mines, for example). I would like to say that I believe that all wars are wrong, because I think that's what Jesus would teach - but I find it difficult when I think of the 2nd World War, for example, and Hitler - I don't see how he could have been stopped by anything but war. However, I think that the vast majority of wars are not right, including the one in Iraq. I certainly think that Saddam Hussein should be stopped, since he is a terrible dictator, but I don't think waging war is the right way of doing it.

However (and this may seem hypocritical and contradictory after what I've just said), I think that now the war has begun, and is underway, it would be a mistake to just call a halt to it. Now the armies have caused so much damage to Iraq, they should at least fufill what they came to do and get rid of the old regime - that would do some good. If the coalition forces left now, the Iraqis would probably not trust Britain and the USA again. It would also put the Iraqis who have spoken out against Saddam Hussein, in the belief that America & Britain would pull him from power, in an extremely dangerous position. So, although I think that the war should never have started in the first place, I also believe that it should be carried through, now it is underway. And I certainly think that a LOT of help and resources should be given to the Iraqi people at the end of the war, and that the UN should have a big hand in it.

Okay, that's what I think. I know it probably sounds really simplistic, but anyway.

Posted: 29.03.2003, 16:11

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I actually don't really know what I think for certain.

I think I agree with Alice.

At the moment a lot of work-related stuff involves the war and that means I am aware of it a lot more than I would otherwise be.

But mostly when I think about it it's related to 2 people I know who are out there. And that's just plain scary and way too grown up for my liking.

darkly

Posted: 29.03.2003, 17:29

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The question for me is where people draw the line.

Dictatorship continually harassing people who live in fear for their lives but also know no better vs. a country that acts like a world dictatorship deciding the fates of whole countries based on blinkered views that are not even backed by similarly thinking countries.

I think that this is very much a Bush Jr war, and that many of the tactical advisors wanted a war for their own reasons and not for the best interest of peace. (It is peace that will come from no terrorism isn't it? or are we more likely to end up with a word super power that is as hypocritical as it is blinkered - IRA Funding, Arms sales, etc) It is turning out to be another 'bad' war for America - no only because they are conceited but also because they are arrogant. (I mean that in the sense of their leadership and not as a sweeping statement of the nationality)

As Alice says; now the war has started I believe that it should be finished. I also think that watchful eyes should look towards the oil. I can't believe that the rights to drill it have already been decided and even though it is the industry that I am going into I can't help but think that the press release smoke screen saying it will be used to rebuild Iraq are representative of the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 'In God we trust' - Well he better be helping because I have no faith in the so called leaders of democracy.

In the words of George Santayana "those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it" George W Bush - Please report to History 101.

D4rk|y

davidb

Posted: 02.04.2003, 12:54

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Great thoughts, all! I'm totally deluged here with work, so can't write anything deep and meaningful, I'm afraid - but I basically agree with what people are writing. I'm furious the war started, but can't see how we can stop it now, so want to see the best possible deal for Iraqis with a new Iraq government. I'm just hoping that the Iraqi death toll is in the thousands, not the tens of thousands. And I fear for what this war will have done to our security for the next thirty years - I can't believe it's improved it. Anyway, feel free to disagree with me! Warmest wishes, DavidB

darkly

Posted: 04.04.2003, 20:06

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I think the death toll will be in the tens of thousands, esp considering the two 15,000 lb fuel bombs droped on two republican guard divisions. That would hav been 10,000 people on its own. (Each one is the size of a car).

D4rk|y

andy

Posted: 10.04.2003, 12:22

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I think it was wrong to go into a war against the security council's wishes, if only because the Arab world will never forgive us.

I think it is right to try and be a restraining friend to the US.

I think we obviously must see it through now.

I think the only reason Chirac was quite unreasonable is because the rhetoric from Rumsfeld, Bush etc. was just so offensive and stupid. A more measured approach from the Americans would have resulted in a second resolution and thus a war I could support.

I think it's a really good thing the war is (seems to be) going so well.

I think the real reasons for the war are still hidden. I don't know whether the oil motive is really convincing. I'd put my money on basic pig-headedness.

I am a bit of an interventionist in the sense that I think we ought to be gradually altering international law to allow explicitly for the kind of action we took in Kosovo. However, I think this would be a very slow process as people would have to trust that our interventions would be fair. The way the build-up to war has been handled in Iraq will set this back a long way. However, the way the war has been fought will provide some counter-balance to this, so long as the Iraqis get their country back quickly.

So to summarise: if this war had been justified on human rights grounds, _and_ supported by the security council, I would have been wholly in favour of it. Of course, it never would have been supported on those grounds since lots of important allies, notably Saudi Arabia are apparently just as bad for human rights.