But, may I ask, if you were at a rally here in the US and Iraqi refugess showed up with signs asking for Saddams ouster, would you allow them to speak or demand that the rally organizers do?
I would have no problem with them protesting for the ouster of Saddam. I wouldn't demand that they not be allowed to speak either. I would wonder why they would think that people at a rally against the war wouldn't be suspicious or inclined to not to want them to speak though. I mean, if it's an anti war rally, most of the people there would be against the war, right?
As far as what you're saying about being against Saddam rather than Bush, I don't think that's a fair comparison. Saddam isn't the leader of my country, Bush is. I see no reason to view him as a threat. Sheet, (excuse my french) I don't see the Middle Eastern countries rallying around Bush and decrying Saddam (other than the ones who actually support the wayward Islamic fundamentalists). We are saying that Saddam is evil because he killed some Kurds. I don't agree with what he did. I want to make that perfectly clear. BUT even Turkey is concerned about those Kurds. You know why? Because they tend to be wayward Islamic fundamentalists.
Let me tell you a little story.
My first introduction to internet message boards came at the time when Elian Gonzales was rescued from uncertain death after his mother kidnapped him and decided to come with her nutcase boyfriend to the US. I went on a board at another place because I felt that the boy should be with his father. There were people on both sides of the issue on that board, but the right wing fanatical Republicans were the ones who were screaming the loudest that he should be kept with his disfunctional family in Miami.
I did some research on Cuba and the whole Florida Cubans vs. Castro situation. What I found out is that alot of people are much happier in Cuba since the Batistas (sp. not sure if I have the name right) were ousted by Castro. They have free education (even at college level) free health care, and to put it bluntly, are more free under Castro than they ever were under those fascists.
One day a man showed up at the board and he called himself something...Nuke. I don't remember. This guy had been in the US navy for over 15 years and he was also trying to explain to those hard core right wingers that people in Cuba are much better off with Castro than they were with the Batistas (or whatever). He ripped them a new *ssh*le.
My point is, we shouldn't interfere with the internal structure of ANY other country UNLESS they pose a direct threat to us. I'm sure that not all people in Iraq are happy with Saddam, most of them might disagree with his politics, just as it is here in the US. BUT they seem to have food in their markets, roofs over their heads and are able to eek out a reasonably happy existence with him in power. He IS a Capitalist after all. He believes in trade and markets and the like. THAT is why alot of Muslims don't even like him.
Dakota, it breaks my heart that this country is headed on such an unprecidented course. We have NEVER overtly violated the concept of not being the agressor toward a country that has not posed a direct threat toward us or those we would consider allies.
I hope it isn't leading where I think it is.
