Yorick, you are correct about the US helping to arm iraq in its fight against iran. Your comments brought back vividly a speech topic i had in highschool, should the u.s. trade bullets for oil in the iran-iraq war? I did speech and debate in school, which is where i first developed my interest in politics and speaking out (spouting off?) That was in 1980, and Carter was president then.
Yes, Bush did stop them from eliminating saddam, a decision I did not agree with. Only left the root of the problem hanging around.
Here in the U.S., the growing problem is that of entitlement- people think they are entitled to things, to have the government provide them. Forgetting the basis upon which we were founded, the right of the individual to PERSUE life, liberty and happiness. Never was it written that you would get it, only that you would have the opportunity to get it. Those who look to the government to fix or solve all their problems usually only succeed in creating more government. That government then says that they will be able to fix it only if you give up some of your freedom (and money). Some examples - burning the flag - those who want to make it illegal would in fact have to abridge or actually put limits on the right to free speech. I personally vehemently disagree with the act, but if I give the government the right to curtail that part of our freedom, when is the next bite coming out? You start a slippery slope that ends in totalitarian regimes like the old sov. union or chinese communists, where those who speak against those in the govt. end up dead or missing. The right to keep and bear arms is another one, that is in the process of being taken away by those incompletely aware or deliberately ignorant of why and how this country was founded.
Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it.
One thing most politicians hate is a well informed and vocal electorate, Yorick, and I would hazard a guess that it is a phenomenon not restricted to our country. If people just sit there with hands out for the government to put something in it, mouths hanging slack for the media to spoonfeed their version of events into it, they become sheep for shearing and lambs for the slaughter.
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When given a choice, take both.
