Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

["Karey" <karey AT kareyperkins.com>]

The same journey for women needs to be made in many other countries far more - Iraq was, in fact, the most westernized country in the Middle East (including women) with the exception of Turkey (where I lived by the way).  I don't expect to have it both ways - or to stay out of all countries.  But I don't expect to be led into an unnecessary war based on lies, and based on a tenuous connection at best.  You're still connecting terrorism and 9/11 to Iraq... again, it is a much more indirect link than the other connections (countries and terrorist links) that we did not pursue with such vigor.  Julio's three letter word is right.

 

I recommend:  "Follow the Uranium" - July 17, 2005 - New York Times

 

As far as forcing cultural and political change on a people (most countries in Africa and many in the Middle East are considered at least three generations behind the times when it comes to women's rights, for an example in just one area of life), no one has decided how best to do it or even if it should be done and if so, if it can be successful.   (By "no one" I mean the cultural, governmental, and military experts who have studied this and seen it attempted in the past and seen the results and fallout of that - not anyone on this listserv.)   This is a philosophical and literary discussion listserv; quite simply, the information to make these decisions are not in the heads - nor the hands - of any of us here. 

 

Karey

----- Original Message -----

From: RHONDA MCDONNELL

To: Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion

Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 10:09 PM

Subject: Re: [percy-l] U.S. : Terrorist SuperPower?

Thanks, Robert, for a lucid and articulate _expression_ of a moderate position. Yes, moderate. And, by the way, we can't have it both ways, Karey. We can't simultaneously stay out of all countries headed by murderous dictators and protect all peoples who are truly living in dystopic societies. While I abhor war and violence (I won't own a gun or have one in my home, for example), it bears pointing out that the lives lost in a valiant effort in the Middle East are far exceeded by the lives taken in the last five years by terrorist actions in our country, in Spain, in England, and in other places. Because terrorists are hard to nail down, the only hope is to cut off the blood supply to the tumor. And frankly, Hussein and his ilk are part of that blood supply. Finally, before bandying about the terrorist label in response to our actions, consider this image--In Iraq, women were protesting that the constitution being considered will not grant them equality. What a journey they've made, to be able to demand equality, when prior to our involvement they had no freedoms, no hope for equality.

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