I simply do not understand.

Neutrino | 3/8/2003 | Neutrino

[neutrino]

I truly do not understand why France, Germany, Russia, and other nations are so determined in their opposition to the US, their support of Iraq, or both.

I don't understand why a variety of women's groups, including NOW, persist in protests in favor of Saddam Hussein.  And yet we have reports such as the following:

Yahia described, in detail, nighttime scenes in Baghdad of group sex and violent acts. He said he once saw Odai beat and rape a pregnant woman. "Odai, he can't sleep with a woman if he don't hit her and see the blood coming out of her," he said.

Source: ABC News.(20/20, Feb 14, 2003)

One premise offered for other nations' support of Saddam is that they want the money Iraq generates.  This is a tempting premise; however, one must ask whether they regard trade with Iraq as being more lucrative and hence desirable than is trade with the US.  I note that Iraq has $11 Billion in imports and $15.6 Billion in exports.  The US has $1.148 Trillion in imports, and $723 Billion in exports.  The US accounts for 8.7% of France's exports, and 8.9% of France's imports.

Source: CIA World Fact-book.

If France is acting on the basis of trade, their decisions appear to be irrational at least. 

Is it possible that they have sold Iraq various contraband?  Perhaps.  Yet a more accommodating attitude toward the US would be likely to lead to the suppression of such information.  Their current course seems to encourage the very opposite.

Why are these nations and people defending Saddam, an odious and brutal dictator?  Why do they oppose the liberation of Iraq and her people?  I truly do not understand.  Please give me your thoughts and insights.

 

 

[neutrino]

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[rimmont]

They would rather crucify Milosevic. It's easier.

[Jim Noble]

France represents a strain of Euro-thought which actually believes that Europe is still powerful and can become more powerful still in the future.

The keys to Europower lie in transnational institutions, nominally democratic (but clearly not republican), but in actuality run by their leaders and staff.

The Euros plan to be the leaders of all the "lesser breeds without the law", and plan to win their compliance by bribing them with American money.

Exhibit #1, of course, is the UN.

Now, here comes George W. Bush, son of America's first truly transnationalist President, and he's screwing everything up.

Not only is he a believer in Jesus Christ and the Constitution of the United States, but he's prepared to tell the precious UN to piss off.

And if the UN pisses off, the principal EU tool for control of third world resources and third world minds pisses off along with it.

[Lexington Green]

They're commies.

[neutrino]

Interesting point. Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, Russia) seem to be a nexus point of opposition.

[tessalu]

It is hard to understand why evil prefers darkness to light, but it is true. I think that evil, and Germany, and France, and Russia all look for short term gain, and they forget about the hell that is awaiting them.

[katnip]

They seethe in resentment that a country of what they probably consider non-sophisticated mutts has become the beacon of all that's wonderful in the world.

I'm sure they think we simply don't deserve it.

[Lando Lincoln]

My view is that these countries, particularly France, are expecting, indeed hoping, that the war will go badly. If that should happen, France will wrest diplomatic leadership of Europe from the Anglos - and perhaps even the US. This, to me, is unforgivable.

[ErnBatavia]

France will wrest

Except that France does not "wrest"...

[mrsmith]

"France, Germany, Russia, and other nations are so determined... "

They were big shots in the League of Nations.
They'll be big shots in their new League of Nations.

And they'd rather be big shots in a fiasco that leads to hell than accept their deserved place.

[Rebelbase]

MADE IN FRANCE/MADE IN GERMANY......WMD and support equipment.

[what's up]

These countries don't want to compete fairly on the world stage.

They want to grab power from an unelected, elitist platform (the UN) and keep the "bourgeoisie" down.

Classic socialist/communist view. Not hard to understand.

[dawn53]

There is something about the Presidency of GWB that seems to "expose evil."

I first said this when the battling started over the election recount and you could see the devious lengths to which the Dems were resorting. Plus the way the courts were throwing aside laws in favor of "their" candidate, it just seemed to me that "evil" was being exposed.

Then after 9/11, the "evil" of Islamic fundamentalism was exposed.

Now it seems like the "evil" of those that would use us to liberate them, then turn their backs in our time of need, is coming to light. Not to mention the absolute "evil" intent of a body that would call their mission "world peace" and yet elevate countries ruled by tyrants and dictators to positions of authority and pretend that good is evil and evil is good.

I personally think alot of Europe's attitudes are rooted in anti-Semitism.

Don't really know what it all means, it just strikes me as odd that all these things have happened under GWB's watch. Call it providence, call if coincidence, but whatever it is, I'm glad it is happening.

[Robert_Paulson2]

They are all marxist/communist organizations, nations and front groups.

Soviet communism is not dead. The cold war is NOT over. THAT is a propagandist ploy... it was NEARLY dead... but not fully.

8 years of "prop up" by the Clintong and RED organizations... pretty much has the old communism back on its feet and ready to rock.

GET OVER THE LIE that the SOVIET UNION IS DEAD.. It is not, it just exchanged it's Warsaw Pact, for a new Franco-German one. Putain is not our friend. The communists are alive and well and proxy fighting us ALL over the planet.. Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba... hell MOST of South America, parts of Canada and of course even MEXICO.

WHY do they all hate us... because we are the antithesis of their gods and saviors, the "political elitists"... like bill clinton, chiraq, and even sadaam.

[dark_lord]

There is a difference between "France", for example, and the politicians who are the political leaders of France. French corporations may well enjoy a trading relationship with the USA but French leaders are the ones who have personally profited with the Iraqi trade.

[tomahawk]

Here's why: They hate America and want to see it nuked, gassed, and contaminated. That's why.

[TommyDale]

"I truly do not understand why France, Germany, Russia, and other nations are so determined in their opposition to the US, their support of Iraq, or both.

I don't understand why a variety of women's groups, including NOW, persist in protests in favor of Saddam Hussein."

Because they are evil!

[freethoughts]

Yes European nations gave weapons to Iraq, but so did the US (and no Hussein was not a good guy at that point).

Europeans do not like Hussein. They are well aware that he, like unfortunately many others, is a horrible leader. What they question is whether Iraq, and the Middle East as a whole, will actually be better off after a war. Saddam is a bad man, but he is by no means the only bad man in Iraq. Once he loses power, many other groups will attempt to seize it. Those who suffered under the Baath party's rule will attempt to take revenge. Fundamentalists will become more popular. Confrontation of some sort between the Kurds and Turkey is likely. Any prolonged US presence and/or control of oil in Iraq will greatly anger the Arab world. They do not want another McArthur. In their minds, we will cease to be liberators and we will become invaders.

There is also another issue. As panicking army leaders flee, what will become of the weapons of mass destruction they take with them or leave behind? We clearly do not know where all these weapons are, so we will not be able to seize them instantly. In the chaos who knows where they will end up.

I have not really seen a good alternative to war from the Europeans, but it is still true that our plan is imperfect. The dissent, although probably mistaken, is understandable.

[brewcrew]

There's some of this: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

And there's some of this: Wait until some of the Iraqi regime's WMD record keeping is uncovered.