On 14 Sep 2002 at 13:50, James Thompson wrote:
> 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 dillusion 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 Saddan hussein is to oust him; the
best solution to the danger of another despot rising to power there is to
institute democratic reforms.
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