Global Anti-War Rallies

Politics International Politics
1

To the tune of “if you’re happy and you know it”

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq,
If we think someone has dissed us, bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let’s look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.

It’s “pre-emptive non-aggression”, bomb Iraq.
Let’s prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq.
They’ve got weapons we can’t see,
And that’s good enough for me
'Cos it’s all the proof I need
Bomb Iraq.

If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.
If you think Saddam’s gone mad,
With the weapons that he had,
(And he tried to kill your dad),
Bomb Iraq.

If your corporate fraud is growin’, bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin’, bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding that ain’t easy,
And your manhood’s getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.
For our might knows not our borders, bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We’ll call it treason,
Let’s make war not love this season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.

2

THE NEXT ANTI-WAR RALLY will be a WORLD-WIDE protest?SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15.?

Send the message to the Yuan (Taiwan National Congress) that Taiwan does not support the imminent US War on Iraq.

Meet: Saturday, Feb 15th at the Taiwan National Congress, Taipei, Taiwan, 12 noon. Bring signs and all your friends.

Demonstrations are planned for San Francisco, Sacramento,

3

Whether or not you agree with disarming Iraq, is your business. You can post your views here and you will hear a lot of other opinions, both for and against military intervention. Maybe you can convince some people to support you, but maybe you will be convinced that military action is justified.

However, you should be aware that foreigners in Taiwan who participate in political rallies face possible deportation. If you ask people on Segue to show up and carry banners, you should at least let them know about the risks involved. In fact, your posting this announcement might even constitute illegal political activity. If you want a free one way trip to your home country, I have no objections, but please don’t drag others into it without fair warning.

4

[quote=“Sir Donald Bradman”]

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq,[/quote]

The US has plenty of support from other nations regarding Iraq. What does this line mean? Its just stupid, in light of the facts.

This is very stupid. The UN knows what weapons Iraq has… it isn’t a matter of guessing or speculating. The UN is not looking for weapons. Why do people keep repeating this inaccuracy? Ignorance? Or is it simply easier to make an argument against these false facts?

President Bush was elected. This line is really stupid.

Satire works best when it is based on facts. If it is not, then it is merely stupid. The only thing going for this song is that it rhymes well.

5

It’s always cool to demonstrate against the mean ole USA and George Bush, right? You’d never consider pounding the pavement in opposition to Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe, Kim Jung-il, Muammar Qadhafi or any of their ilk., would you? I feel like vomiting.

6

I noticed in the link you provided that the Women’s International League For Peace (WILFP) is against military action and economic sanctions. Just out of curiosity, how do they propose to oppose a rogue nation that does not respond to the normal constraints and responsibilities demanded by the international community? I’m not saying war in Iraq is a good thing, but it might be a necessary thing. Maybe. I don’t necessarily trust Bush’s judgement in the matter. (Oh how I wish Gore had won… :frowning: ) War against Germany, if not a good thing, was at least a necessary thing, in that it liberated half of Europe. War against Japan, if not a good thing, was at least a necessary thing, because Japan was forced back to its own borders and kept from imposing its will on its neighbours.

I think that it is not enough for organizations to oppose war and sanctions. They also need to provide constructive solutions.

7

Sod archinasia, thanks for the info. Anyway, I don’t think it’s illegal for foreigners to engage in political activity. If it is, someone better go deport Hartzell. Besides, legal or illegal, it’s good to know, and I’ll be there. I’m not going to discuss the case against the war though. There’s already a huge thread about that, and I suggest war discussion be kept over there.

Brian

8

Thanks for your amazing deconstruction. You should change your username to Jacques Derrida. :unamused:

Brian

9

Oh really??? Someone better tell Hans Blix then.

10

Oh really??? Someone better tell Hans Blix then.[/quote]
Somebody better read UN Resolution 1441.

The UN is in Iraq to verify that disarmament is happening, as inspections under UN SC Resolution 1441 are supposed to do, rather than trying to create disarmament, which inspections cannot do.

Iraq was ordered by the UN to account for the thousands of tons of chemical precursors, the thousands of liters of biological warfare agents, the thousands of missing chemical munitions, the unaccounted-for Scuds missiles, and the weaponized VX poison that the UN has itself declared missing.

[quote=“UN Res. 1441”]Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

  1. Decides that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations under relevant resolutions, including resolution 687 (1991), in particular through Iraq’s failure to cooperate with United Nations inspectors and the IAEA, and to complete the actions required under paragraphs 8 to 13 of resolution 687 (1991);

  2. Decides, while acknowledging paragraph 1 above, to afford Iraq, by this resolution, a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the Council; and accordingly decides to set up an enhanced inspection regime with the aim of bringing to full and verified completion the disarmament process established by resolution 687 (1991) and subsequent resolutions of the Council…[/quote]

Hans Blix already reported to the UN that Iraq has NOT accounted for substantial amounts of weaponry and materials.

Are you not following the news? Or are you, like so many clueless others, simply (mis)understanding the situation by reading and accepting as fact such clever diddies as that provided in the original post of this thread?
:unamused:

11

Thanks for the information about the march. Another form of protest, which will be more effective, is to stop buying products from the US. Every little bit counts and it will make a difference. Already, some of the US companies have seen dramatic drops in revenue from the middle east and other areas. This is the best way to protest: bottom up.

12

Bri, you’re mistaken. This is actually an issue that Hartzell is wrestling with. It might be of interest for you to know that the R.O.C.'s Constitution’s rights and freedoms that are conferred upon citizens of the R.O.C. do not apply to foreigners here. Foreigners can be deported for engaging in activities other than what is listed on their visa as their purpose for being here. The wording is deliberately vague so that a judge can interpret it any way he wants to. It is part of the same issue that keeps foreigners from legally engaging in volunteer work here. While it might not be illegal, it is not legal, in that one has no protection under the law. So DON’T “sod” archinasia - his/her point is valid. :?

13

Maoman, I double-sod archaxisofevilinasia because I cannot believe he is truly so wimpy to believe what he says – surely he favors the war and is just employing lame scare tactics. The risk of deportment must be comparable if one eats food on a bus. Did the government crack down on the thousands of farmers who made noise and obstructed traffic to protest ROC law? Or those who protested nuclear power? No. The bad old days are over. Anyone who opposes the latest unprovoked massacre by the most powerful nation on earth should be out there. I will be (as I and numerous other foreigners were for the no-nuke rally), and if you get deported let me know and I’ll pay for your ticket home.

As for why one would oppose murder by economic sanctions as well as by bombing, check out this great article from Harpers. But more importantly, please join us in the rally.

14

I wonder how much good all your marching will do when the PLA launches it’s blitz on Taiwan. I bet the leadership in Beijing shivers at the very thought.:unamused:
“Oh no! There’s an anti-war demonstration in Taipei…and there are foreigners marching! Oh woe! Call back the bombers, call off the invasion…give peace a chance!”

15

I was wondering where those in support of the war could march? I mean sure it’s great y’all are goin to march and say how terrible the US is and all, but some of us support a possible war with Iraq very much.

In case you haven’t noticed, no war is currently being fought between the US and Iraq. Regimes like Iraq’s don’t change without wars or assassinations, just because you march (They shoot protesters and other hideous things in Iraq) or because you take off all your clothes and make big words on big green hills and fields to get attention (You would probably be raped or stoned for that in Iraq). War is a last resort and I think the US has been more than patient and multilateral in its current approach. Especially because patience is not a normal US foreign policy trait.

I especially find it amusing in an ironic way. You’re protesting in a place that owes its political independence to US military power.

O nly wonder quite a lot, what would you do with a regime with weapons of mass destruction and the willingness to use them on neighboring countries and its own people. Food for thought.

CYA
Okami

16

The attack on America by “terrorists,” . . . or “combatants,” . . . or . . . “freedom fighters,” by individuals from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a turning point in the history of the world.

Why? Because the world now realizes ( and needs to know) what the United States is all about – it cares more about money than it cares about you . People are now better informed than they have ever been in their lives though. Thank God for that, thank God for access to knowledge to help the poor; thank God that we can think for ourselves.
Call it the “democratization of information.” The United States Administration currently values the relationship with (the oil that it needs from) the KSA more than the "principles " that it teaches its own people.

How times have changed. Don’t stand back and kid yourself that it’s “not my problem” – it’s everybody’s and you can do something about it.

Buy non-US.

17

[quote=“gordon”] I appreciate that I will be “mauled” and “attacked” for posting this, but that is a risk I take.
[/quote]

Your bravery is dumbfounding.

18

If the world is so much better informed, then how do you account for the above ill-informed, or completely ignorant post?

The US does not value oil from the KSA more than the principles of freedom and democracy. However, when fighting against Nazi germany and Imperial Japan, in order to restore freedom and democracy to many parts of the world, the US realized the obvious need to have a free flow of oil from the middle east. The US also knew that the free flow of oil would be essential to the post war recovery and reconstruction efforts. The fact that the US and Allies were able to access oil during the second world war was very important in defeating German and Japanese aggression. It was then understood (even though you fail to understand now), that given the situation in the middle east, it would be better to have the oil fields controlled by non-democratic governments friendly (or at least not hostile) to the US, rather than to allow Saudi Arabia to come under the control of fanatics who despise the west and who would be hostile to the west.

I suppose you do not know the word “dilemna” and have never heard the phrase, “the lesser of two evils”. :unamused:

19

Don’t know if Blix knows where the chemical and biological weapons, or the stuff to make them with might be. But the US and Britain might – and they certainly know how much he has – because they sold him the stuff in the first place. But that was to be used on bad guys like Iranians, not good guys like … well not the Yanks and the Brits because Mr. H. doesn’t have missiles that go that far. Oh yes, like those peaceloving Israelis. Still that was then and this is now: “when love is over, how little even the lover understands.”

20

America is gearing up to do the UN’s job. Should Iraq acquire Weapons of Mass Destruction then you can be sure that Israel will take them out. Much better that an international coalition see to it first.
The liberation of Afganistan is one of the great stories of the modern era. Beforehand all the pundits were predicting failure. And with good reason: history pointed to certain failure.