[talus]

Hi Footprints.<br /> Sorry if this is a little off topic but you might have a chuckle over the controversy regarding Jeff gagnon and Talon News if you google it. <br /> Regarding the story, there are a few Blogs from women in Baghdad such as "Baghdad Burning" and " A Family in Baghdad" which are ongoing diaries since the start of the war. The latter has the Arabic translation on the left of the screen. Perhaps you have read these. Riverbend, in Baghdad Burning, speaks to this issue and many others. The sense I get from their writing is the total lack of security in their lives which of course means a lack of freedom. Riverbend is witty too...eg. "Not only can they not find WMD in Iraq,” I commented to E. as we listened to the Bush speech, “But they have disappeared from his speeches too!" <br />

[FootPrints]

Hi Talus:<br /> Thanks for the heads up!<br /> You know, I didn't even check to see who had written the acticle. I'm not lost on the subject though (as a regular reader of whatreallyhappened.com)and the controversy surrounding this guy and his getting into this whitehouse. Now I wish I hadn't posted it. <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/smile.gif' alt='Smile'><br /> <br /> If anyone wants to know more about Jeff aka James Dale Guckert:<br /> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Gannon">Jeff Gannon</a>

[talus]

I think you were correct to post that article. All the articles were good choices in my opinion. The first, from a mouthpiece for Whitehouse propaganda, a faux-journalist, then an article by a real writer for Aljazeera, then something from the University of Washington, and the last, a liberal lawyer from Illinois. It's better than I would have done-nice balance for review, thanks.<br /> <br /> Your articles have provoked some thoughts which you may or may not agree with. I think that Iraq women, no matter how you slice the future politics, are heading into a more non-secular world(with less "rights") for several reasons. First, the pervasive and long lasting insecurity of the average person, the difficulties of life, and personal loss, mean that Iraq is now a factory for churning out Sunni and Shiite militancy with extreme theocratic and ideological tendencies. The majority of these 'militants' may never pick up a weapon yet will have ideas which are just as aggressive and society changing as those who do. It's understandable from a psychological perspective if you consider what people naturally do when faced with insecurity- they embrace each other by some means for support and comfort. This 'means' is often common beliefs(religion). And, the greater the turmoil, the greater the need for strong common beliefs. The word "Religion" has many links through etymology. It's related to "rely" and to "ligare"- to tie and to "religare" = re+ligare- to retie. Religions tie people together, so most religions are not private affairs; they are not usually celebrated alone and so they provide great comfort to the soul as are most shared common beliefs. Further, these new strong beliefs will be generational changes because their experience of the last two years, and how they come to cope with the next few years, will fill their memory, shape their opinions, justify their hardships and loss, and will affect their society for decades to come. I sometimes wonder if the emergence of fundamentalism in North America is also a product of the changes we are seeing. If my memory serves me correctly, "Muscular Christianity" had a birth in the massive changes of the industrial age, a surge in the 1930's, and perhaps now again in the age of consumerism.That's my two cents <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/wink.gif' alt='Wink'>. <br />

[FootPrints]

Thanks for your reply. I can understand what you mean by having religion hold them together. With everything they have been through, there has to be something to keep them going, between years of brutal sanctions and war.<br /> I don't know all the answers. I often wonder if they were white women, and little white children blown to pieces, or crying in the pictures I have seen, there were be much more outrage here in the western world at the atrocities taking place in Iraq right now.<br /> <br /> I posted that article because I was upset over an e-mail (like a chain letter) I received from a friend in the U.S. about how well things were going in Iraq, and now women could go to school. And thing were much better now with electricity and clean water. Meanwhile, under Saddam ALL people had free education, and the fact there was so little clean water was because of the sanctions imposed upon Iraq for years.<br /> <br /> She's free to her opinion, but I had to vent somewhere...<img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/smile.gif' alt='Smile'>

[talus]

It can be a difficult question: which is worse, oppression or terror, Saddam or chaotic insecure occupation? A friend of mine lived through a home-grown dictator, then a terror filled occupation by Russian troops, and lastly, a kind of orderly brutal oppression by the Nazis. She was born in Talin, Estonia. I asked her once what the difference was between the Russians and the Nazis and this is what she had to say: The Russians were completely different to the Nazis. With the Russians, there was no order to the killing. You would walk home from work and your neighbour was shot on the sidewalk and her baby was being thrown out of the window of the second floor nursery. It was chaos, the Russian women paraded down the streets with their soldiers in nightgowns, thinking they were evening dresses. There were no behaviours, no rules to follow, no code of conduct or associations that could lessen your chances of being murdered. You couldn't even guess how to behave to make your life more secure. But the Nazis were different. They posted the rules of behaviour. They made it very clear what one must do to survive. If you were to be deported or killed, you had to report, it was very official and well documented. There was no terror and insecurity of random death in the streets. She much preferred the Nazis over the Russians, orderly brutality over random insecure chaos. She eventually escaped from the Nazis by fishboat (which is a whole other story) as she was ordered to report to work at the Obersturmfuerer's(sp) building because she had secretary skills and her second language in school was High German. Her parents and boss knew what that would really mean for her so they helped her escape. Perhaps she is mistaken in her choice, but that is her life and opinions and she is a dear lady. I suppose life before Saddam was brutal and it sounds like it still is. I hope that it does not descend into complete chaos, which a civil war would surely be.<br /> Talus

[iluvfreebeer]

<br /> I've read several of the posts here. It appears you all hate America.<br /> It is also apparent that you are huffin' paint thinner.<br /> <br /> Did you know there are rehab programs to solve both your problems?

[Jesse]

[QUOTE BY= iluvfreebeer] <br /> I've read several of the posts here. It appears you all hate America.<br /> It is also apparent that you are huffin' paint thinner.<br /> <br /> Did you know there are rehab programs to solve both your problems?[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> iluvfreebeer, we ask all users to behave in a respectful manner without insulting anyone else. If you can't say anything constructive, we ask you to please go elsewhere. If and only if you are interested in having a reasonable and constructive debate, regardless of your viewpoint, you are welcome to stay. saying that people are "huffin' paint thinner" is neither reasonable nor respectful, and should be avoided in future, whether you believe that or not.

[iluvfreebeer]

OK.<br /> <br /> What comment you would you suggest for someone who hates America, is a leftist extremist, and posts based upon America hating emotions rather than fact?<br /> <br /> Would - dolt be off the mark? How about ignorant? Because the hate filled racist ant-American remarks I've seen here must be grounded in ignorance.<br /> <br /> I honestly can't figure out what motivates my Canadian friends to hate Americans as many here obviously do. I love Canadians. Have spent lots of wonderful vaction time there - but the leftist government of late is a bit too full of itself for someone outgunned by Denmark.<br /> <br /> <br /> Shalom.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

[Jesse]

[QUOTE BY= iluvfreebeer] OK.<br /> <br /> What comment you would you suggest for someone who hates America, is a leftist extremist, and posts based upon America hating emotions rather than fact?<br /> [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> It doesn't matter; if you start insulting people, you're every bit as bad. <br /> <br /> [QUOTE]<br /> Because the hate filled racist ant-American remarks I've seen here must be grounded in ignorance.<br /> [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> ALL hate speech is strictly against site rules. If you have found some, *let the moderators know* where it is and we will remove it. For your reference, here is the canadian government's definition, which we use:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/c-46/41491.html">http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/c-46/41491.html</a><br /> <br />

[iluvfreebeer]

Canada has a government?<br /> That's news to me.<br /> Did they get permission from Washington for that?

[iluvfreebeer]

[QUOTE BY= iluvfreebeer] Canada has a government?<br /> That's news to me.<br /> Did they get permission from Washington for that?[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I seem to have stumped the Canuckistanis with this one.

[KevinGagnon]

iluvfreebeer,<br /> <br /> Your wasting your time. Because no one is going to take you serious here. Your post are not serious enough to follow you. It may feel good to you to spill over your emotions, but it isn't going to make anyone listen to what your saying. Unless your only looking to feel better by spilling your emotions ?<br /> <br /> When you write post on forums, you should realize that you are going to have thousands of people reading them, from now and as long as this site is up. Because your post always stay in the archives. I doubt people come online to look for insults and scorn. Their looking for information. Information you may have to share, that we haven't seen yet.<br /> <br /> Do yourself a favour and everyone else. Be more serious in your post and post more constructively. I'm hoping to read what you have to say beyond the emotions your spilling here. I'm sure you have something interesting to say.<br /> <br /> Theres a difference between post that are emotion based and logic based. Emotion is usually when the person is not able to control himself/herself, so they just spill whatever comes out, which is often insults and scorn. Logic is someone who can sit back and take a breather and type more then one paragraph without insulting or scorning. They usually have something interesting to say, something constructive.<br /> <br /> Again look forward to reading what you have to say that is beyond the emotions your spilling here. If your going to continue with the emotional spill. That is your time you waste on this wonderful world of ours. Your choice.<br /> <br /> Take Care.<br /> <br /> Kevin

[Armageddon]

[QUOTE BY= iluvfreebeer] [QUOTE BY= iluvfreebeer] Canada has a government?<br /> That's news to me.<br /> Did they get permission from Washington for that?[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I seem to have stumped the Canuckistanis with this one. [/QUOTE]<br /> Stumped? Nah, I just didn't get here in time. <br /> Obviously your humor doesn't reach us, or you're just too blinded to notice that you said the Canadian GOVERNMENT was too full of itself, then went on to say "Canada has a government?" Are you sure you're even on the right site? Maybe you took the obvious wrong detour when going to conservativelife.com.<br /> Here ya go.<br /> www.conservativelife.com<br /> <br /> P.S. don't try to bs about loving Canadians when:<br /> 1) you want to invade us;<br /> 2) you call us all Canuckistanis (wow, how clever. Come up with that on your own?)<br />