U.S. abandons democratic values in Iraq

[DuctapeFatwa]

One night last week, U.S. soldiers busted down the doors of 1,400 Iraqi homes, scared the living daylights out of children and interrogated their parents, often kicking them around and arresting them arbitrarily...on some thin, speculative shred of information obtained from God knows who.

If the Bush administration is trying to teach the Iraqi people the basic tenets of democracy, such as due process, human rights and basic fairness, they're doing an atrocious job.

What they're demonstrating to the Iraqi people is that it's acceptable to engage in thuggery and arbitrary detention. The Bush administration is doing whatever the hell it wants in Iraq and human rights observers -- or what's left of them -- are standing on the sidelines in utter disgust.

Everything America is supposed to stand for has been abandoned in Iraq. It's basically state-sanctioned terrorism. ..

http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/brodbeck_nov30.html

[leftofthedial]

1. it's because they believe the solution for every problem is WAR

drugs, "terrorism," insurgency...

respond with WAR.

There are few institutions less democratic than the military.

9-11 and most of what is going on in Iraq whoudl be dealt with as crime, not as war.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. It's imperialism...pure and simple.

Let's not sugarcoat it.

When we overthrow a goverment and force an American hand-picked comittee to ratify a constitution that meets with our approval prior to allowing any form of free elections or self-determination, we are basically saying: "You will accept the form of government we wish you to have and we will not allow you to deviate from the course we have chosen for you as a country".

That's imperialism.

[Forkboy]

3. They are here too