From: James Thompson (Thompsonj@higgslaw.com)
Date: Sat Sep 14 2002 - 15:29:01 MDT
> There has been a lot of debate over Saddam and terrorism and the
> threat they pose to our security. Please take the time to read this
> short summary on an entirely different approach to the situation and
> perhaps we can turn the tide of the current perceptual conflicts
which
> seem to be only hindering us. I think that the whole discussion
over
> whether or not to remove Saddam is not only quite irrelevant in the
> long run, but also the product of a self-defeating delusion being
> initially propagated by those that wish to manipulate the minds of
the
> public in order to further their own agenda. If you cut off the
top
> of a weed, it will inevitably grow back. If we want real security,
> why not address the roots of the problem? What social, political,
or
> economic factors allow such a man to rise to that level of power?
In
> the aftermath of the Cold War, it should have become clear to
citizens
> everywhere that it is not the march of armies that is the clearest
> threat to peace and stability but rather the disaster of pervasive
> resource loss, refugees who are forced across borders, and social
> instability that makes war primarily an action within, rather than
> between states. Global leaders and citizens must find a new sense
of
> mission and destiny, and must reclaim the security terminology from
> war-making institutions. Social, economic, and environmental
stresses
> and pressures on societies worldwide call for a new definition of
> security, and hence for a new set of priorities. Poverty, unequal
> distribution of land, and the degradation of ecosystems are among
the
> most pressing issues undermining security. Soldiers and tanks are
at
> best irrelevant and at worst an obstacle to solving problems. An
> understanding of security that fits today's world will require a
shift
> from conflicts of national security to cooperation for global
> security. Instead of defense of the status quo, sustainable
security
> calls for change and adaption; instead of "green-helmet"
intervention
> forces, we will need to transform war-making institutions, and
create
> new priorities for sustainable development. - veridicus
>
The best solution to the problem if Saddam Hussein is to oust him; the
best solution to the danger of another despot rising to power there is
to
institute democratic reforms.
The problem of Saddam Hussein is not actually a "problem of Saddam
Hussein." There is much more to it than that. You are oversimplifying
the problem. Institute democratic reforms? What exactly does this
entail? Something like installing another corrupt government that will
eventually become another enemy similar to what occurred when the U.S.
once allowed the Taliban to come into power in Afghanistan?
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Sep 25 2002 - 13:28:58 MDT