Re: [OpenHeroQuest] From HQrules list

From: Chris Lemens <chrislemens_at_d2HAzq3CK-GPKE82Ydc9QszCGoSyD0f8Zh2mUrvDYeojFVWySC01N2eMGGS1r-FK>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 13:21:44 -0800 (PST)

Screw you.

> America actually IS attempting, via the IMF,
> World Bank and other such powerful groups,
> including many lobby groups, to _impose_
> its most important cultural values on peoples
> who don't necessarily want anything to do with
> them.

I'd say "bribe" rather than "impose".

> For example, many right wing idealists justify
> the Iraq war by saying that it is all about
> democracy,

That'd be me.

> but democracy isn't something that can be
> imposed from without, without ceasing to
> be actual "democracy".

True-ish. However, try distinguishing these two cases in practice:
(a) The "people" really don't want democracy -- they want theocracy, naziism, communism, or whatever ism. (b) The "people" really would prefer to choose their own government on a regular basis, but are afraid to say so because of thugs who will take over at the earliest opportunity -- one man, one vote, one time.

> And, if truly democratic elections were held in
> Iraq in 2004, the resulting chamber(s) and
> governing body that ensued would most likely
> be deeply anti-American ones ;

That would be an acceptabe result to me. So would have an Islamic government in Algeria. Let the ideologues run the government for a while; it will run its course, as it has in Iran.

> also, as soon as the Americans are out of the
> place there is a 85% likelihood that
> there will be a civil war / coup d'état /
> revolution.

Agreed. One man, one vote, one time. This is the case for a supervised, representative government for some period of time.

> What's the difference between the resistance
> movement in Iraq in 2003 and the resistance
> movement in France during the German occupation ?

The difference between fighting for a dictator and fighting against one.

In other news, the Supreme Court today upheld the suspension of the First Amendment as to core political speech for unpopular persons, thus signalling the end of 200+ years of democracy in America. It is a sad day. Read Scalia's opinion.

You left off the obligatory insult, pinko.



Chris Lemens

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