Chomsky on Iraq [fwd]

[grok]

On Sun, 2003-04-13 at 14:31, Jim Rovira wrote:

> Chomsky sounds about 90% on target this time.  Not bad.  I take issue with
> two points:
> 
> 1. I think he's grossly mistaken in thinking that the lifting of sanctions
> would have ensured, or at least helped, the overthrow of Hussein, because it
> would have funded increases in his own military and security spending.  He
> needs to say this because, of course, he doesn't want to admit the obvious
> -- the only way Hussein was ever leaving was via an outside force kicking
> him out while he was already down.  I think Bush saw himself as facing two
> options -- life sanctions with Hussine in power, or lift sanctions after
> removing Hussein from power.  He chose the latter.
> 
> 2. If Hussein was "authorized" by anyone to suppress rebellions after the
> 1991 Gulf War, it was by the same international community that opposes the
> war now.  It was pretty clear back then that the international community
> wanted us to kick Hussien out of Kuwait, but not Iraq.  Back then we didn't
> have the sense of threat, the fear factor that Chomsky rightly acknowledged,
> motivating us to ignore the international community that we do now.  I
> remember the war and remember a large number of Americans saying we should
> "finish the job," and I remember arguing with them back then that "everyone
> is opposed to that, and that we gained international support only by
> promising we wouldn't do that."  Given the aftermath of the war and
> Hussein's retaliation against the rebellion, I could almost wish we had
> ignored the international community back then.
> 
> Hindsight is, of course, 20/20.  And there's no telling what the aftermath
> would have been.
> 
> Jim


Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy... hard to believe that this is posted to a Listserv
pertaining to the Frankfurt School.

But, if they can force a Vietnam war criminal on the NYC New School as
its president, and Adorno could transform himself into a fingerman for
the pigs, I suppose the above could be naturally predicted (given
today's climate of fear, ignorance and loathing...)



--- grok.



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