Muammar Gaddafi, was he really bad?

[Yamato]

Was that accusation proven, Yam? And are you saying that if it IS true, the Kuwaiti's deserved the brutality that Saddam poured onto them? Seems more like a case for the world court or the UN to decide.

It wasn't a baseless accusation; there was evidence, yes. Like you care about accusations getting proven after the fact after that avalanche of BS from the Bush administration.

Did Kuwait deserve Iraq's oil? Hussein was a thug the US enjoyed during his evil invasion and manufactured stalemate with Iran. As if we're some kind of honest arbiter or judge of what's "deserved" over there.

[+and-then]

It wasn't a baseless accusation; there was evidence, yes. Like you care about accusations getting proven after the fact after that avalanche of BS from the Bush administration.

Did Kuwait deserve Iraq's oil? Hussein was a thug the US enjoyed during his evil invasion and manufactured stalemate with Iran. As if we're some kind of honest arbiter or judge of what's "deserved" over there.

I expect us to be the best arbiter of what we personally find to be right or wrong. What Saddam did in Kuwait was over the line for decent human beings anywhere I hope. As I said - theft of oil seems to be more of an issue for a world body to mete out punishment for, rather than wholesale invasion and slaughter. And I say the same thing if it is our country doing it.

[Yamato]

I expect us to be the best arbiter of what we personally find to be right or wrong. What Saddam did in Kuwait was over the line for decent human beings anywhere I hope. As I said - theft of oil seems to be more of an issue for a world body to mete out punishment for, rather than wholesale invasion and slaughter. And I say the same thing if it is our country doing it.

Well of course we're the arbiter of our own interests. I think we have way too many expensive interests that don't represent our own peoples' interests. But, something less than wholesale slaughter, yes I agree or at least I would hope.

But a rhetorical question: What do we do when someone is stealing from us? Ask them to stop, right? What if they don't stop? What then?

Saddam even had an historical argument for Kuwait. He was exercising his right to return. Except this time the UN didn't agree with it, and we hung him on violating UN resolutions. Kuwait does look like someone took a bite out of the rear end of Iraq when looking at a map, and Saddam was getting nearly all of his coastline on the Persian Gulf back.

Kuwait is another western-friendly thorn in the side of the region. Our oily little friend keeping the Arabian peninsula via the Persian Gulf in business. If Iraq invaded someone not important, say Iran, our sense of right and wrong would have thought that's just swell.

[+and-then]

Well of course we're the arbiter of our own interests. I think we have way too many expensive interests that don't represent our own peoples' interests. But, something less than wholesale slaughter, yes I agree or at least I would hope.

But a rhetorical question: What do we do when someone is stealing from us? Ask them to stop, right? What if they don't stop? What then?

Saddam even had an historical argument for Kuwait. He was exercising his right to return. Except this time the UN didn't agree with it, and we hung him on violating UN resolutions. Kuwait does look like someone took a bite out of the rear end of Iraq when looking at a map, and Saddam was getting nearly all of his coastline on the Persian Gulf back.

Kuwait is another western-friendly thorn in the side of the region. Our oily little friend keeping the Arabian peninsula via the Persian Gulf in business. If Iraq invaded someone not important, say Iran, our sense of right and wrong would have thought that's just swell.

In this instance I'm not even talking about the politics of it all. I'm speaking purely on the human level of what he did to Kuwaitis who had done nothing to him. His army pillaged, raped and killed Genghis Khan style. Had he done the same to Iranians or Qataris I'd feel the same way.

[Yamato]

In this instance I'm not even talking about the politics of it all. I'm speaking purely on the human level of what he did to Kuwaitis who had done nothing to him. His army pillaged, raped and killed Genghis Khan style. Had he done the same to Iranians or Qataris I'd feel the same way.

Yeah well that's another of your rhetorical inventions. I don't see Saddam's greater mercy towards Iran, I just see a much more powerful neighbor that stopped him cold hard in his tracks.

Thanks for not answering any of my questions in any of the recent ME discussions including above.

[+and-then]

Yeah well that's another of your rhetorical inventions. I don't see Saddam's greater mercy towards Iran, I just see a much more powerful neighbor that stopped him cold hard in his tracks.

Thanks for not answering any of my questions in any of the recent ME discussions including above.

You are quite welcome. And I am going to do both of us an even greater favor in this new year Yam, no more "discussions" of the Palestinian/Israeli problems. It's a new year resolution for me. It's pointless and only leads inexorably to arguments. And because it bores the crap out of everyone else here. I plan to give the same deal to Ambush Bug - perhaps the two of you can wax eloquent on the topic in future. Good luck with that