Iraq War

[ninwa]

just interested in your views also I'm sick of the God debate and I'm in an international studies mood so voila

I tried to encompass all the possible views people might have - but let me know if there's an option I should have included

[Pencil]

haha australia's a woman

[brendan]

it is not in australia's national interest to be in iraq.

[Mao]

lol
the iraq issue is so overdone in the past years it's not funny anymore
if there were any possibilities of good arguments to be invented, they're all here, even if the war was plainly for oil and australia joined as a mere formality to americans

but now whatever arguments that are around would knock down the above mentioned commonly known "fact", so i'm fence sitting

lol btw the god debate is never old, so far every forum i've ever been to all had some kind of a god debate, ranging from a gba-rom forum to a miniature wargaming forum...

[Defiler]

Trying to install democracy into countries that will 'never' change (unless by some miracle) is a pointless exercise. Australia should focus on preventing terrorists from actually arriving here, and if that means toughening up the immigration policies, I'm all for it. The same goes for America, and hence Ron Paul is possibly the best person I have seen in years running for President. If only there was a good option in Australia like him.

[Collin Li]

I voted for withdraw, but I was not sure whether I was for the war, or against the war. I voted against, because I lean that way.

The only reason I support the war is because it is in my beliefs that it is not wrong to liberate those who are being oppressed. However, I think the best way to spread freedom is by example. Why should we need to convince them that freedom is the best way of life with a means of force, when we can simply show them what a great system freedom is at home? When I see countries like the U.S. sacrifice their civil liberties for "security," I fail to see the point of exporting democracy to other countries, because we are sending a mixed and unclear message.

The argument that neo-conservatives tend to make is one of "national security." I would counter that argument with the principle of "blowback." This is the idea that an interventionist foreign policy is the main cause of terrorist attacks. Intervention in the Middle East has been the case since before the September 11 attacks, so it is a credible idea.

[ninwa]

haha australia's a woman

All countries are female according to my IS teacher my aim for the IS exam is to call at least one country a "her" or a she"


I agree with coblin's "blowback" comment (cough Afghanistan cough )

I also voted for against + withdraw.

Iraq had no real links with al-Qaeda before the invasion - in fact Saddam and bin Laden apparently quite disliked each other. That's changed a fair bit since the invasion.

It can be said that Australia's involvement in this war has made her a bigger target for terrorism - although it is true that BL had named Australia as a target before this. It hardly helps the security aspect of our national security and it hasn't helped the US' either.

Sure a democracy has been established in Iraq, but it's not entirely a functioning one, and one can argue that the term "democracy" is contentious once you take into account the fact that the initial government was hand-picked by the US.

/rant

[Mao]

just out of sheer randomness:

plato was against democracy, and argued for republic, or benevolent dictatorship...

totally off subject, but anyways...

but with all the intervention going on atm, how come nothing big has happened for a while? since after 9-11 and the london bombing and the bombing in Spain, all there has been are a few roadside here and there in ME, wouldnt the terrorists be MORE active if intervention was the main cause?

[Collin Li]

just out of sheer randomness:

plato was against democracy, and argued for republic, or benevolent dictatorship...

totally off subject, but anyways...

but with all the intervention going on atm, how come nothing big has happened for a while? since after 9-11 and the london bombing and the bombing in Spain, all there has been are a few roadside here and there in ME, wouldnt the terrorists be MORE active if intervention was the main cause?

What about POW hostages? Troop casualties? The terrorists can kill us easier if we're over there.

[melanie.dee]

im against it, and always have been, however im not sure where i stand now with staying in or withdrawing.

i dont think its fair to screw over a country beyond belief, and then go er shit lets pull out, and leave it in limbo. however i do think that the role over there in a military fighting type way needs to end, and turn to a humanitarian, rebuilding type thing. however i would say that needs to be a UN led thing rather than america/australia etc, but with the support of the countries that wrecked it in the first place.

i also agree that people do deserve freedom from oppression and a certain level of civil liberty that doesnt expect some places, however i also agree that invading a country and doing it by force doesnt work. and that wasnt even the goal anyway, it was one of national security or whatever, which definitely doesnt give the right to do that.. and doesnt work. agree with the "blowback" comment too.

therefore. i think our involvement in a military way needs to stop. however we cant just leave iraq like it is now, and we need to fully support a wider humanitarian effort to bring some sort of stability to a country thats literally been torn apart

[costargh]

it is not in australia's national interest to be in iraq.

Lol. One thing we agree on  

Anyone for oil?