File spoon-archives/heidegger.archive/heidegger_2003/heidegger.0312, message 383


From: "Anthony Crifasi" <crifasi-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: spectacle v truth
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 22:19:53 +0000


Malcolm Riddoch wrote:

>>First, the sentence you quote above should have indicated that I am in 
>>agreement with Paul's libertarian objections to many of the budget busting 
>>social programs that Bush proposed. Secondly, instead of throwing out 
>>three or four links each of which is about a mile long (i.e., your Ron 
>>Paul links), please quote specific passages that you would like to see me 
>>address instead of simply throwing a two or three hour assignment at me. 
>>For example, in my reply to Bob in which I addressed the "carpet of 
>>gold/bombs" allegation by Meacham, I took the time to cut a specific part 
>>out of a book review that dealt with the question, instead of simply 
>>posting the link (which was to a much longer page). That is a more 
>>critical way of doing things. If you could select some specific arguments 
>>that Paul makes in those extremely long pages, I would be grateful.
>
>Well firstly, suggesting any one of 3 short essays on 'conscription', 'the 
>republic' or 'neoconism' as the starting point for a discussion is as good 
>and critical a way of doing things as any other in my experience.
>
>Secondly, you just can't stop filibustering can you Anthony? Maybe you 
>should just mellow out a bit and have a good dose of eggnog or whatever it 
>is you damn merkans drink at yuletide.

For me, whiskey. Straight. But I like plain old wine too - Australian 
happens to be near the top of my list.

>Drambuie does it for me, or an ice cold beer. Weather's hotting up here 
>nicely, around the old century fahrenheit for the next week or so.
>
>Lastly, I leave the discussion up to your conscience, take it where you 
>will.

I was not trying to filibuster or to avoid the argument, since I usually do 
read links that are provided, even if excerpts are not given. But I just 
copied the texts from your 3 links into my word processor, and the total 
came to 26 single spaced printed pages. I don't think it's unreasonable (or 
"filibustering") for me to ask for specific citations in a body of texts 
that large. I have more time than most, but not that much time. But if even 
that seems unreasonable to you, then I'll start with the one that is 
shortest. If you want comments on the other 20 single spaced pages, then I 
would like to request some specific passages please. Here's my take on the 
shortest one you provided.

"We were told we had to support this pre-emptive war against Iraq because 
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (and to confront al Qaeda). 
It was said our national security depended on it. But all these dangers were 
found not to exist in Iraq."

To define "confronting al Quaeda" as targetting only those who (like the 
Taliban) explicitly harbor people like Bin Laden would be like defining 
"confronting an army" as attacking only the front line, and not (for 
example) supply lines too. Secondly, regarding weapons of mass desctruction, 
even the UN agreed in resolution 1441 that "weapons of mass destruction" 
consisted not only of the actual weapons themselves, but also the means of 
producing and delivering them. That's why the resolution required Iraq to 
declare those too, not merely actual weapons themselves. But items were 
explicitly found in Iraq which were supposed to have been included in their 
December 2002 declaration, but were not. In other words, Hussein was clearly 
hiding at least his means of producing such weapons (as defecting scientists 
have explicitly admitted after the war) ready to be re-activated as soon as 
possible.

"These after-the-fact excuses for invasion and occupation of a sovereign 
nation direct attention away from the charge that the military industrial 
complex encouraged this war. It was encouraged by war profiteering, a desire 
to control natural resources (oil), and a Neo-con agenda of American 
hegemony with the goal of redrawing the borders of the countries of the 
Middle East."

This oil argument is the most ridiculous of all, because if that was the 
motivation, the US would have either opposed UN oil sanctions and simply 
bought Iraqi oil for cheap (since Iraq was desparate for money under those 
sanctions), or it would have chosen a much more natural target in light of 
9/11 - Saudi Arabia.

"The inevitable failure of such a seriously flawed foreign policy cannot be 
contemplated by those who have put so much energy into this occupation. The 
current quagmire prompts calls from many for escalation, with more troops 
being sent to Iraq. Many of our reservists and National Guardsmen cannot 
wait to get out and have no plans to re-enlist. The odds are that our policy 
of foreign intervention, which has been with us for many decades, is not 
likely to soon change. The dilemma of how to win an un-winnable war is the 
issue begging for an answer."

The situation is hardly that of a quagmire. What does not get reported are 
facts like the greater supply of electricity than even BEFORE the war, the 
overwhelming support of the Iraqi populace according to every poll taken so 
far, the fact that it took 7 years of occupation in Japan before a stable 
government was established... By any historical comparison, this is hardly a 
quagmire.

Finally, since the general topic of Paul's essay is about conscription, when 
I read your comment that conscription is being considered and linked to this 
essay, I was looking for some reference in Paul's essay to an actual 
proposal by somebody regarding this. The essay, as it turned out, is only 
Paul's OWN speculation about conscription (that an unwinnable war requires 
conscription, etc.), not to any reference that conscription has actually 
been seriously proposed or considered by any authoritative body at all.

Anthony Crifasi

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