The enemy of my enemy isn't always my friend.

[CornField]

That's what many miss when discussing the Iraq situation.

Let's say that another nation moves into Iowa in order to liberate us from the Bush* regime. Now, most folks know how I feel about Bush* and his ilk. For all pratical purposes, I should welcome this liberation, right?

I'm sure I would... until I saw my friends, neighbors, and (Gods forbid) children fall during said liberation. It wouldn't take too much of grief and loss before I was willing to become an Iowa insurgent -- not because I love the Bush* regime, but because I cannot stomach my family and friends being put to death in the name of liberation.

[seabeyond]

1. good, take it a bit further

you see this country came in to liberate, yet they steal your commerce, they take your jobs, they spit on you in the process. they call you animals, and treat you as an animal. you see these people that came in dont have control, they dont have a plan that will work and they are only trying to implement a government to rule you that isnt bush

and you arent particularly fond of this person either

schools are a mess. sittin in the humidity and heat of summer, and the freezing of winter. yet............you cant give kids enough food, or babies warm enough

i might have issue too

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. Your thinking is

skirting dangerously close to nuance. Do you hate 'Murrika?

[beam me up scottie]

3. Thank you. Excellent post.

On another thread someone had suggested that the Iraqis are more than happy to let us feed them, clean up the mess and rebuild their country for them.
We have no idea what it feels like to be "occupied".
Anyone who thinks differently should read Riverbend's blog.

[DireStrike]

4. It seems a perpetual fallacy of our leadership.

"Hey, let's arm and train those mujahedeen against the Soviets!"

[Jesus Saves]

5. The same can be said about the insurgents in Iraq

We may not agree with the Iraq invasion, but there are groups fighting over there that are straight up opposed to every single ideal we as liberals believe in. We were wrong to invade Iraq, but that Zarqawi bunch is nothing but pure poison.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try to get out, or that we didn't make the situation worse. But the situation exists as it does.

[atreides1]

7. There are groups here that would destroy us given the chance...

....so let's do unto them as they would do unto us, but let's do it first.

So what if there are groups over there opposed to any ideal that liberals beleive in, that doesn't give us the right to invade another country based on lies, it doesn't give us the right to kill innocent civilians, and call it collateral damge, it doesn't give us the right to force our beliefs on another people.

And prior to the invasion, the Zarqawi bunch was under control, and they weren't going around putting car bombs and IED's on every road and street corner.

The invasion opened up a Pandoras Box of misery for the Iraqi people.
And let's not forget the simple fact that Saddam was in power for decades because the US hated the Iranians more then they cared about the plight of the Kurds or the Shia.

There are groups here in the US that are opposed to every single ideal that liberals believe in, are you suggesting that we attempt to destroy them as well. Let's start with the Christian Taliban, we can always justify it by pointing out that people like Falwell and Robertson believe in the destruction of the US Constitution and all that it stands for, we can even put some of there own shows up to prove our point.

The fundies are just as much pure poison to us as Zarqawi and his bunch are to the Iraqi people. So let's plan to do away with the poison that is right here in the US first, the groups that would destroy us and our families based on their perverted views of the Bible.

[Jesus Saves]

8. All I meant is that they aren't our friends

nor are they to be rooted for in any way.

[CornField]

9. So, for me for me to make an attempt at understanding, I'm 'rooting'

or otherwise 'cheering' for them?

[Jesus Saves]

10. No just saying that your initial observation leads to a view of the world

with increasing complexity...

[KharmaTrain]

6. We Have No Real Friends In That Region

Just opportunists.

Our sorrid history in this region has been an almost constant attack on these people's identities and cultures for the last 60 plus years (and the British & French before that). All our concerns about these people is their oil and cheap labor...I've yet to see any benefits the Iraqis get from this occupation...even under it's rosiest neo-con dreams.

Liberation? From what? If we had come in as support of a true indigenous rebel army (as we did by boosting the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan) then maybe a case could be made. We invaded univited, under false pretenses and with total lack of real concern for the Iraqi people. The damage this invasion is causing here and throughout the Arab world will outlast our lifetimes.

Just think if the U.S. were invaded and how you'd feel or react. Even your hatred for this regime would take a back seat to your desire to eject the occupiers from your country.

If we truly want to liberate the Iraqi people, we go to the Arab League, see what it would take for them to help transition our troops out and then let the Iraqis liberate themselves. They don't need our help.

[beam me up scottie]

11. I remember someone saying that we've done nothing

but treat all of the countries in the me like they were just one big gas pump.
Summed it up for me.

[The Magistrate]

12. That Is True, Ma'am

The phrase ought to run more along the line of "The enemy of my enemy imay be a useful tool." It is quite posible for the enemy of your enemy to be your enemy as well, and where there is some benefit to you from his efforts, it should not gain him anything but your resolve to turn effectively on him once the field is clear....