I don't believe the Iraqi people hold Saddems palace to be anything other than a place where a horrible dictator ruled over them. I doubt it has any special meaning. Now if Bush were commanding his troops to turn mosques over to an embassey then I'd agree. But bashing Bush for this is pathetic.
'Saddam's Palace May Be New U.S. Embassy'
by sf 90 Replies latest social current
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Euphemism
Stacey
I don't believe the Iraqi people hold Saddems palace to be anything other than a place where a horrible dictator ruled over them.Oh, absolutely. And that's why I think that giving it over to the Iraqi people would be an important symbol of the triumph of democracy over Saddam's tyranny. And similarily, the American government keeping the palace symbolizes persistent American power in the region.
I'm not saying that the symbolic appearances are necessarily true. But I'm saying that public perception matters, whether it's true or not.
But bashing Bush for this is pathetic.
Well, I can agree to disagree on this.
Yeru
Has no one thus far commented on the US government not accepting bids for the rebuilding effort (and over 18 billion dollars) from countries that stood in our way on the Iraq issueYeah, I commented on it up above, as another example of Bush's bad PR sense.
I'm not even going to argue about the merit of the decision. Even assuming that it's a good decision... there are much more tactful and quieter ways to implement it, than by giving a big public middle finger to France and Germany.
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rem
Diplomacy is a two way street. France and Germany are playing
hardball, so it's only appropriate that the US does so too.
There's not sense in catering to the EU's every whim. Besides it
gives the US leverage in negotiations.
I'm amazed at the uproar about denying contracts to opposing
nations. It makes me wonder how bad a deal the criticizers got on
their last car purchase. They must be awful negotiators.
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DakotaRed
As far as I'm concerned, it's up to them to mend fences with us, not us mend them with them. Maybe if they forgive the outstanding debt they hold against Iraq, helping a fledgling nation recover faster, they will see some lucrative contracts come their way.
If they expect the profits, they need to come on board.
On another note, I find it strange the UN is calling for more troops committed to Afghanistan to keep them secure. Maybe if they had banded together in the first place, their security would have been better today.
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Panda
Oh please ... IF this happens I beg, plead, and grovel at the feet of the embassy bosses to please get new furniture. When I saw that crappy furniture in the palace I laughed, I thought Sadam had said, "lets build a palace to last for millenia and then decorate it like some pimps cadillac. Sheesh ... that place looked awful. So if it's the embassy maybe the designer guys should fly over and fix it up. Oh and some acoustical work might help too.
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frenchbabyface
"but they want our money...screw them" ...
... I'm just sorry but it is only fair ... how many did the US stole to lots of countries ... (should we talk about AFRICA for instance ... France also got a big bill they will never pay to Africa) So ? NO we should not ... but please don't forget ...
(A) Why do you think the US country is that rich ? When true few rich people (less than 10 %) are sharing 60 % of 100 % of the benefits of the world product when 90% are sharing 40 % (all together in a century) when they produced more than 99 % (for 40% benefit - humm ?) and when you know that those in fact 6 out of those almost 10 % are AMERICANS ... get a clue of who is cheating ? ... Time to learn to pay ! And then time to learn pay back ! (All of us, cause we are all living on lots of poor people?s back)
Funny when you think that occidentals get made when too much people wants to immigrate in their country ? do we remember what our countries stole to their?s or how to get much power we walked on their heads and death ? Are we the one who?s got the right to cry ? ? Do we think we worth more than an other one Country or human ? Those people don?t own us a damn thing ? WE DO
When people will realised that sharing is the only way to get better economically everywhere ? things may change for good. As a simple equation : we produce enough food for everybody in this world (no one should die because of diet ? lol ? but almost 50 % does) that just mean that if everybody could eat and they could ? but we don?t share so ? otherwise everybody could work and bring all his human resources to share (product, services, health care ? everything). Means that basically we could have the same confort for half time working (but 50 % are dying or in bad shape) I mean it is a way to get 100 % raised of money in fact) what now if you can work full time 200 % raised ? Exchanges are not limited. That is how sharing is winning (fast and big in the best way for everybody) If you didn?t think about it yet ? just do and REMEMBER ? The only reason why it is not like that is because what have been said in (A) mean it is not about your wallet) but about the wallet of those 10 % holing 60 % benefits ... because of them we have to work like dogs ! when in fact economy is not limited to any stock (stock exchange : gold or whatever) ... that is just a way for them to hold and control "the cake" ! but that is forgeting that if you don't raise the amount of the stocks, when economy gets better the stocks have more value (which means exactly the same ... more money).
There is no way for america's gov to get what they want out of this war (all the business they are expecting) ? US really have to deal with an other culture here ? Now US is dealing with a little vietnam war ? NO CONTROL IN FACT
I'm not talking about Soldiers here ... (I mean they are dying - but not for what they think) - politic is just like religion.
... every countries want a bit of the cake (of course) and are able to give a hand (in front or behind) to be sure of that but not in favor of America - because the US acted on his own ? with a false major reason (remember) for itself - we know it - who wants to deal with a quiet powerful liar who wants to get more power ??? (That means that you are alone) I mean all gov are just gov with businesss and have their own interest and as you can see they don?t feel like to give the US a hand here (not a real one anyway ? watch behind your back), In knowing A + that you don?t deal with Muslims like you deal with eastern people (should I remind you how bad we dealt with ASIA in WAR ? do you remember why ?)
and CHINA IS COMING teasing the US?s what did I say US ? not only : THE WORLD?s butt ... (economically and well armed).
Don?t get me wrong here ? I don?t feel like to be lead by either one (US or CHINA ? they look like the same to me) the only difference is that the American feel that they are free when they are not ? (you are not free when you have to make war without really knowing why ? ? you are not free when the gov or a part of a gov can just make you disappear or get in jail without having a reason, M. MOORE GAVE US A CLUE ? YES US is not genuine ? you know ? ARE YOU PROTECTED ? I guess NOT ? (9/11 ? they knew !!! !!! !!! and well ? you know it)
Little add :
France is trying to get more countries involved in the CEE (EUROPE) just because of China (to stand in front of them) ... and please listen up ... not because of the US?s illusion of power ... I was already sure of that ... but they just said it LOUD in a serious a politic TV show 3 days ago ... time to realise what it means ... And that WAR WITH THEM won't be the SOLUTION ... They've got enough of everything ... In fact more and they are not scared ... and they are used to suffer ... and they won't stand a Nagasaki or Hiroshima (just realised that you had to send 2 MEGA BOMBS to stop them !!! I'd rather die before I get in trouble with them) ... they have a kamikaze culture ? WOP ! ? Just try again and AMERICA will be a PARKING LOT ! Why should they care ... Did America care for Japan ?
Do you remember the last endemic sickness (atypical pneumonia ?) how fast they (YOU-US) got rid of it ? Now you can talk about Sadams specific tools that we were so afraid about ? What about the US doing the same without being catched ? not gonna comment more about that ? I think you know what I mean. The fact is that we just can?t use (AND WE SHOULD NOT USE) this kind weapon against them because the market is overwhelmed with Asians Products and business traffic needs ! And this world full of Asians (almost 60 % of people on this planet ! MORE THAN HALF !!!)
Time to realise that AMERICA is no longer what it think it is (and it is running since at least more than a decade without most particular individuals really noticed it ) REMEMBER PEOPLE ... WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN TOLD (does that talk to ex JW's ?) you are not supposed to believe me on words ... but ... time will tell ... and will better wake up before the big mess !
FBF ... hope from the "Cassandra *" Class ...
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Stacy Smith
When people will realised that sharing is the only way to get better economically everywhere
We won't be sharing with France of course but if you saw the average americans tax bill you know we share plenty. More than we should in my book.
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Yerusalyim
Even assuming that it's a good decision... there are much more tactful and quieter ways to implement it, than by giving a big public middle finger to France and Germany.
As was pointed out above, the French and German governments have been giving us the middle finger...so we've returned the favor. They did it publically, so did we. Nothing against the French People (Frenchbabyface especially, the sexy doll) nor the German people...but the governments have flipped us off in public more than once...diplomacy is indeed a two way street, and I haven't seen them move to the middle at all...we reached out to them,,,they smacked our hands...it's their turn to reach out...not for our money...but for our friendship first.
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Mulan
I'm just saying that it's extremely insensitive and bad PR.
It figures.
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Euphemism
As was pointed out above, the French and German governments have been giving us the middle finger...so we've returned the favor.
Excuse me, but disagreeing with our policies does not constitute 'giving us the middle finger.'
I know you can easily dismiss my thoughts on this matter, since I'm a liberal... so I just thought I'd share what William Kristol of the Weekly Standard had to say. I don't think anyone would call him a liberal.
A deviously smart American administration would have quietly distributed contracts for rebuilding Iraq as it saw fit, without any announced policy of discrimination. At the end of the day, it would be clear that opponents of American policy didn't fare too well in the bidding process. Message delivered, but with a certain subtlety.
A more clever American administration would have thrown a contract or two to a couple of those opponents, to a German firm, for instance, as a way of wooing at least the business sectors in
a country where many businessmen do want to strengthen ties with the United States.A truly wise American administration would have opened the bidding to all comers, regardless of their opposition to the war -- as a way of buying those countries into the Iraq effort, building a little goodwill for the future, and demonstrating to the world a little magnanimity.
But instead of being smart, clever, or magnanimous, the Bush Administration has done a dumb thing. The announcement of a policy of discriminating against French, German, and Russian firms has made credible European charges of vindictive pettiness and general disregard for the opinion of even fellow liberal democracies. More important, it has made former Secretary of State James Baker's very important effort to get these countries, among others, to offer debt relief for the new government of Iraq almost impossible. This is to say nothing of other areas where we need to work with these governments.
This decision is a blunder. We trust it will be reversed.