Posted by Nishrah Aturayah from adsl-67-37-239-149.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net (67.37.239.149) on Monday, August 26, 2002 at 2:46PM :
In Reply to: Simele Reducks posted by panch from ? (204.120.48.3) on Sunday, August 25, 2002 at 11:09AM :
It would be difficult to argue with most of the points you are making, however, I do take some exception with the wide latitude you have taken in asserting your position. I do realize that a lot of what you say is with the proverbial, "tongue in cheek," but putting that aside, I would like to plead for a little more fairness and balance in these forums. This one, by the way, is the best I have seen.
Here's what I mean, it's easy to take a position on one side of the fence or the other and then argue to your heart's content for that position. I've been guilty of this myself, but I finally realized that if these forums are really going to be meaningful then they must be more than an endless loop of gotcha's. It is so easy to make assumptions about the ulterior motives of the present administration, but does anyone really know what is going on in the Beltway beside Bush , et. al., and Almighty God? Sure you might be right on target, regarding some of the points you made and I don't want a turkey shoot in Iraq anymore than you do, but there is another side to the coin.
You see, I think your argument and mine and everyone else's, would be far more powerful and insightful if we applied the positives and the negatives to both sides rather than declaring one side positive and the other negative. It is unfortunate that we are at a disadvantage because we are not privy to the intelligence that the inner sanctum gathers for Bush and his Cabinet, but a lot can still be gleaned from other sources and heck, you and I are still entitled to our opinions. But, there is good and bad, right and wrong everywhere you look today. Shouldn't we acknowledge that?
Here's my bottom line: What I have seen on these forums is a fantastic pool of intellectual discourse and debate, but it never goes anywhere because it is caught in this endless loop of mockery, insults and condescension. These forums, for the most part, are a genuine microcosm of the world at large. If the people that participate in these forums were given the power to implement their ideas in place of the world's present leadership, then I think we would see more blood spilled than in all the wars put together since the beginning of man's history.
If these forums are merely intended as a means to vent our pent up emotions by scoring points off of each other, then they have fulfilled their purpose and will continue to do so. If, however, they are meant to be contructive and lead to positive solutions to problems, then a different tact must be taken,
I was invited to this forum by Lilly and I thank her for doing so. This forum has really great potential. I sincerely admire all of you. You are bright, intelligent and extremely capable. I hope that no one feels offended by my remarks, because I am not trying to offend or criticize anyone. I just hate to see such talent and promise for our future caught up in the empty wasteland of American pop culture.
This forum and others like it could serve as, "think tanks," for establishing a foothold in our ancestral homeland that will expand into a sovereign nation one day. I don't know if anyone is interested in this idea and I don't know how such a transition could be made, but if you are interested, I'm confident that you all have the brainpower to accomplish the task. This v
Nishrah Aturayah
: Read in the news about how the Bush administration is looking for Iraqi-Americans to speak out against Saddam...to rally public opinion around their need to keep oil flowing at affordable prices and high profits to their few pals. They are willing to teach them how to write letters, op ed pieces...to appear on the evening news urging all good Americans to increase the suffering of a People who never did a damn thing to the United States...caught between the U.S. and its ally Saddam.
: Here's the chance for all you true Assyrians to join in the destruction of the land you love so well...the birthplace of your Heritage, you know...the one you all cry over. Let's do what the Levies did in Iraq...let's work for the invader and the despoiler of our Homeland...so he will reward us by handing the ruins and the corpses over to us as a "thank you".
: And all of you who fall for this...all of you who believe that THIS time the Christian West will give you what you "deserve"...will understand how Simele's happen.
: Terrible Saddam...my my, he gassed 5000 Kurds...his own people. His own people who also made the mistake of listenning to the Siren call of the West...like the 200,000 Kurds he killed after the United States abandoned them...after first giving them "hope" that they were about to "give" Iraq to them.
: Of course there is no mention of the over 600,000 Iraqi children the United States has killed through its Sanctions. You are all weepy eyed for the ones Saddam killed and yet ignore the far greater number killed by the Christian United States. This is how the U.S. knows who to enlist as "allies"...this thick headed muddle you call your "National Question" which has as its sole answer only more death and destruction.
: Why wouldn't Saddam round up all the families of those who accept this offer and wipe them out? What is Israel doing to the families of suspected bombers? What would the United States do to its citizens living in Iraq who advocated attacks against the United States? What did this country just do to John Walker Lindh? What is it doing to its own laws when it holds without charges or anything else, American citizens in military jails?
: All the United States is doing is to shore up Saddam for as long as it needs him. The Iraqi-Americans dumb enough to step forward will identify themselves for easier elimination, or the elimination of their families...a great way to get rid of that pesky brother-in-law who always borrowed your kebob skewers and returned them dirty.
: Who is kidding whom? Didn't the United States help identify the Kurds who would rise against him so Saddam could wipe them out? Who has killed more people over there, Saddam or the United States? How many innocent children have been born into these Sanctions and have only known suffering and want and live now in daily fear of another attack? This isn't Terrorism?
: Well..."Ross" and Peter The Rabid...here is your chance. Step forward and make the case why the United States should attack Iraq. tell us all how you want law and order and respect for innocent people's lives...how you cherish your Heritage...so please bomb BetNahrain.
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