Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein is indeed a monster. But recall that most of his heinous
atrocities, such as gassing his own people (dubbed by the article
"accidental"), were done in periods of full support by the USA. Thomas
Friedman, wrote at the time, something like "Well, a
few Kurds died. Big deal, stability remains in the region." (i.e. oil
markets remain in control) (I can find the exact quote if you're interested.)

As for the impending attack on Iraq, I'm more or less neutral on the
issue. As far as I can see, we'll be replacing one dictator with another.
If we didn't, a substantial Shiite part of the population (I believe)
might get too much power in the government, start making friendly
overtures to Iran, and then bad news. . . .cheap oil will be a thing of
the past.

Thus, as Thomas Friedman also wrote, "the best thing to have in place in
Iraq would be an iron-fisted military junta." No doubt this is what US
leaders are looking for as they interview possible Saddam replacements
(see the article in the New Yorker).

Basically, the only thing that an attack on Iraq, as currently planned,
would accomplish would be to wipe out thousands more Iraqi conscripts
(see a recent article in the Atlantic (on Hussein) for a brief description
of what it's like to be one of these guys . . . just imagine being an
Iraqi soldier for moment: if you don't fight, your commanders shoot you
or beat the shit out of you, if you do fight great USA, we'll blow the
living shit out of you. Nice choice, ay?)

Oh. . . and oil prices will stay low. So that's good.

But who knows for how long.

Hello Chris!
If the sanctions were removed oil prices would be low, they are not low
now at least not at my pumps. They have never been higher. It is in the interest
of the oil companies to keep their oil out. hence they can charge more
Just what was it that he did that makes a target for attack. Did he attack
us. were any of the terrorist Iraqi. As far as chemical warfare-hmmmm- our own
troops seem to have a high degree of diseases from what ever it was that we used.

you want to see a threat to the american people- the corporate greed causing
the destruction of the pensions for one in the stock market. This is far more
deadly than the threat to the fascist in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia.

Christopher Bailey wrote:

>
>
> Oh. . . and oil prices will stay low. So that's good.
>
> But who knows for how long.
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

the quite applies to the NYSE

"X. J. Scott" wrote:

>
>
> Chris, I am in complete agreement with you here. We have to
> accept our responsibility in cultivating this monster.
> Situations like this are the reason why laissez-faire has such
> appeal.
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
http://www.anaphoria.com

The Wandering Medicine Show
Wed. 8-9 KXLU 88.9 fm

In-Reply-To: <E17NM4x-0004kp-00@...>
X. J. Scott wrote:

> Hm, well I hope that's just speculation. Iran and Iraq have
> always been at each other's throats so that particular
> scenario seems unlikely, though I agree that some sort of
> unified Arab world is an apparent threat to oil interests BUT
> isn't that what OPEC is and we've lived with that...

Iran is not an Arab country.

Graham