Do we owe Iraq an apology?

[Texasgal]

Yes we do Mr. President... YES we do!

[WindRavenX]

1. An apology can't take away what's happened

:cry: :cry:

Another country is pretty much destroyed because of us.

[Texasgal]

5. Agreed.. but for him to say we don't

is mind numbing...

We owe them alot.. but an apology from the United States needs to happen. As well as other things.. But Bush dosen't think we owe them even that! :MAD:

[WindRavenX]

6. yeah, but I don't think they'll get an apology anytime soon

Might take another generation :(

btw, has the US formally apologized for slavery?

[Texasgal]

7. 2 wrongs don't make a right

why are we basing this off of past indescretions in American history?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. too late for that

they are cursing us

[C_U_L8R]

3. Let just give them George & Dick

[havocmom]

4. We owe turning the junta war mongers over to the Hague at the very least

Then we owe Iraq ALL the assets of the people who have made fortunes off the war.

Start wit the guys at the top of Halliburton and there go-fer, Dick Cheney.

[AZBlue]

8. Yes, we do. And then we owe them the efforts to rebuild.

[bigwillq]

14. So you think we should stay in Iraq

for the purpose of rebuilding? :shrug:

How much money should we give them?

[AZBlue]

17. Not as we are now, no. It will take an international commitment, but the US should play a major role

and, yes, we're going to have to pay.

[Bluerthanblue]

9. in the very least a humble heartfelt apology. - for starters eom

[Texasgal]

10. Exactly..

This is what I was trying to understand, coming from his interview on 60 minutes.

[shance]

15. A "heartfelt" apology? How does that sound after 700.000 murders and torture?

Isn't that a rather shallow gesture after the abuse this Administration, Halliburton/KBR and Bechtel have inflicted on the country of Iraq?

You know, high school volunteers have to give a certain amount of volunteer hours in order to graduate.

Lets send the White House and Congress to Iraq to make international amends by offering their "social services" in volunteer hours of restitution and clean up, along with Halliburton, KBR and let them pay off their actions for no compensation and stay until the project is completed.

[Texasgal]

16. Have you not read the responses in this thread?

We all agree that an apology is not enough... but an official apolgy needs to happen as well as other things.

[Bluerthanblue]

18. Thanks Texasgal- I meant that as only a begining, and you

got that.

we can never make up for what has been done-
Starting by acknowledging that is a begining.

I'm not very eloquent- I AM very sorry and ashamed by *'s words of arrogance and stupidity.

[Djinn]

23. why?

I doubt you'd find anyone in Iraq for whom an apology would mean diddly squat.

Besides what should the apology be for? For starting the war at all? for running the war badly? for selling something we didn't own (iraqi resources locked into contracts illegal under all international laws)

Or do we go broader? do we acknowledge that this war is simply another action in 150 years of neo-colonialism and apologise for ALL those actions taken to incarese US power/prestige and wealth - if not why is Iraq special?

If an apology means something it can be useful - however there is NO WAY IN HELL the US is going to be apologising for neo-colonialism anytime soon, so any apology is ipso facto gonna be a lie.

[Bluerthanblue]

19. I don't really care how it sounds, what

I do care about is admitting how wrong and bad this mess is. It begins with a GENUINE apology- * is incapable of doing this- but I'm not- I regret everything this nation of ours has done since he put himself into power. We have become an arrogant, self-righteous, vindictive, angry, ugly mob- We parade our wounds around as if they were the only suffering that occurs in the world- and hide our evil deeds behind fancy words and thinly veiled illusions of "security".

I have been against every single act of violence perpetrated by this depraved administration.

Heartfelt? yes- I meant what I said, from the deepest part of me- There is NO WAY we can ever undo or make up for what has been done to so many people- in so many places. We can send the WH Congress- and who ever you want where ever you want- that won't make it any better either.

The dead are not going to be 'un-dead'. The things that have been done will not ever be undone.

And I understand that better than you will ever know.

I cannot make this right- none of us can. It was IN NO WAY the fault of the people of Iraq- they are innocent by-standers. * doesn't agree. He's WRONG. It begins with his learning that.

And someday he will.

I am sincerely sorry.

[Djinn]

24. Just since Bush has been in power?

So the people grieving their dead relatives in Timor Leste didn't really suffer? or is it they don't deserve an apology because their suffering occurred with the permission of Democrat administrations?

When the war in Iraq continues under a Dem admin - Democrats are certainly NOT going to be reponsible for enabling an Iraqi regime that takes ownership of Iraqi resources for the benefit of Iraqis. Any truly democratic Iraqi government would NOT be amenable to the US and may well decide they'd get a much better deal trading oil in Euros instead of the greenback.

The US economy is fucked rigid if that happens - in other words it AINT gonna happen.

There is not a single Dem pollie that I'm aware of who has spoken out against neo-colonialism. Not one that has decried the idea of the US' "manifest destiny" or suggested that US hegemony is not worth slaughtering brown people over.

Apologising for Bush's actions might make certain US partisans feel better but it will do nothing to improve the lot of Iraqis as they will remain in the situation of being cursed by dint of having something the powerful in the world want.

[Bluerthanblue]

25. Djnn- I completely understand the point you are making- but

I believe you are missing mine.

I do not, (nor have I ever) supported acts of violence and aggression against other people in the name of 'country' 'god' 'retribution' or imperialism.

I, personally do not believe that anyone has ANY right to the oil in Iraq other than the people who live there. And I believe they should be allowed to live without fear of molestation by any other 'nation'- without manipulation, duress, or strong-arming because they live in what happens to be an 'oil rich' area of the earth.

Colonialism is much older than the US- so much of the present suffering in this world today is directly related to the greed and lust of 'stronger' countries.

You are sadly probably- spot on- with your prediction that even under a Democratic leader this nation would pursue oil rights with little regard to ...'fairness'.

As for apologies- I believe they are important- but only if they are genuine, and they can only be genuine when they are followed by a sincere desire not to continue or repeat the offense that made them necessary. When I say a humble, heartfelt apology for starters I honestly mean that- I believe we as a nation, and I as a human being- owe the people of Iraq that. Regardless of my own personal actions to stop my country from embarking on this hellish course, I still feel complicit in what has been done- simply by virtue of the fact that those who claim to represent me (in the global world) have done great harm. And I have been impotent to stop them.

Can you seriously imagine anyone admitting their wrongs, and seeking to make amends in any tangible way without feeling the need to acknowledge the harm they have done and expressing a commitment not to continue or repeat it?

Correcting a wrong, begins with admitting it exists. That is the point of a SINCERE apology- it is the beginning of the end of the bad action. At least in my limited experience and admittedly imperfect opinion.

peace-
blu

[rurallib]

11. When he said that I thought "how fucking stupid is this guy?"

And the I remembered this is W.
Blow up a man's house, kill his family and take away his income, then berate him for not rebuilding the way you tell him.

[Texasgal]

13. I was thinking the same thing...

we don't owe them an official apology? JEEZ!

It will up to another President that will understand the pain we caused them to do so.

It was amazing to me...

[Imalittleteapot]

12. No jobs, no peace.

We owe them money to rebuild their nation which will provide jobs. And an apology is in order.

[bridgit]

20. no, SCOTUS does for just sitting there while he was installed...

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

21. We Owe The Entire Fucking World An ABJECT Apology! n/t

[njdemocrat106]

22. Saddam was a scumbag, but is Iraq better off now than 4 years ago?

Are the images of Iraq on the television the images of a country joyfully liberated by a dictator, Mr. President? Do you even watch the images on television, Mr. President? Do you know what you have wrought upon that nation?

Apologizing won't magically rectify the situation in Iraq, but deep down inside, can you admit that you made a mistake? Or is your ego so massive that even considering even a small withdrawal of American troops would make you look like the weak-minded, weak-spirited man we all here know you are?