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Tuesday, April 01, 2003
Homeland Invasion With all the talk of Iraq's breaking the Geneva Convention, I'm wondering if it's reasonable to expect Iraqis to follow any rules at all. Why? In addition to the they-have-absolutely-nothing-to-lose rationale put forward in a previous post, there's another reason: We invaded them. Saddam & Co. didn't challenge us to a fight; they didn't want a war, and certainly not one with the "world's only remaining superpower." On our own initiative, opposed by nearly every other country on the globe, we unilaterally decided to rain death and destruction and disruption on Iraq. "We're coming to your country to kill as many of you as it takes to get you to say 'uncle.' Oh, and you'd better fight fair." It's like a big jock picking a fight with a skinny kid, then complaining when the skinny kid lands one below the belt. It's reminiscent of the conservative lament: "If a guy breaks into my house, it oughta be legal for me to blow his brains out, no matter what. Whaddya mean it's illegal? He has to threaten me with deadly force first? I gotta give him a chance to hurt me or my family before I can take him out?" Essentially, that's what we're doing in Iraq, but in addition we've told the world we intend to kill or abduct the head of the household. Saddam is going to feel justified in defending his regime by any and every means available, and we should assume as much. Yes, Saddam's a monster. Yes, Iraq and the world will be better off without him. But U.S. bitching about Iraq's breaking the rules of war is pathetic and stupid. 
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