Don't Start the Second Gulf War

National Review Online ^ | 8-12-02 | Doug Bandow

[NeoCaveman]

I don't care why they hate us. The Japanese used to hate us, we cured that little attitude problem.

Besides BinLaden was a billionaire and the Al Queda guys in the states were not poor....far from it.

Sure if their economies were growing they might not be so bitter but Islamic law forbids the charging of interest among other things. It is no coincidence that Turkey is so much better of than the other Muslim countries, they have a secular government.

[Torie]

Opinion on what: the nature and sources of Muslim male frustration or kicking butt in Iraq?

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Turkey is actually more at a fork in the road in regards to whether or not they will continue down the road to a more secularized government or continue to let the religious extremists slide the government more towards the absence of a separation between church and state.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Anything that you would like to comment on.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

"I don't care why they hate us. The Japanese used to hate us, we cured that little attitude problem."

You don't have to care why people of different cultures hate us, but I believe it is important to understand many of their exuses for hating us.

I agree with your conclusion about Japan and rebuilding that nation after World War II. General MacArthur did an outstanding job of rebuilding the nation. The first wise decision he made was to force the Emperor of Japan to renounce his deity or god-like status. The second wise move on MacArthur's part was to eliminate Shinto as the official state religion and secularize the new Japanese government.

To the Japanese people's credit, they cooperated well with General MacArthur's orders.

[Travis McGee]

We're not going to see another Battle of Stalingrad, but the liberation of a vast Dachau, which will spark a popular anti-islamic rule uprising in Iran.

[weikel]

I like you and agree on Iran's WMD programme BUT they could NOT deny us access to the Gulf. The 7th fleet in Bahrain would take about 5 minutes to sink whatever Navy Iran has assembled.

[weikel]

It can Hong Kong would probably be considered extremely corrupt by many standards yet it still grew.

[weikel]

An attack on North Korea would mean an all out war with China... one of the few countries that could stand against us if we want to take down North Korea we will likely have to work out a deal with China which in all likelihood will mean (quid pro quo) greenlighting an invasion of Taiwan by the mainland. Such a deal would be very unpopular on the right.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

Technically, they could. Realistically, they may not try.

[weikel]

They could for the 5 minutes before there whole ragtag fleet was sent to the bottom( well actually with the crazy mullahs deciding military strategy it'd be more like 2 minutes).

[FreedominJesusChrist]

You like Turkey, don't you?

I think I remember discussing the subject with you before :)

[weikel]

Yes im very pro Turk.

[ladyinred]

I did read your article in it's entirety, and I do not agree with the author. For instance:

Would Baghdad turn atomic weapons over to al Qaeda or similarly motivated terrorists? Not likely.

If the author did a little research, he might discover that Iraq was involved with al Qaeda, and was instrumental in the terrorist attacks against us on Sept 11th. That evidence is coming forth now.

There is also good evidence that Iraq was involved in other attacks against the US, such as OKC bombing. IMO this is not a separate battle, but a continuing of the war on terrorism. I am rather surprised this isn't being stated often enough, if at all.
Fortunately most Americans "get it" and are not, so far anyway, being led off track by the politically motivated left's propaganda war against this administration. They are a clear and present danger to our national security as is Iraq.

[Trueblackman]

Remember when Terorist get their hands on a Iraq Nuke and blow it up in downtown Washington DC Democrats will whine that Bush did not do enough!!! My God Democrat are proof postive of what happens when you put stupid people in office!!!

[Protagoras]

I hope you are correct.