Okay, Dems, What Went Wrong? And How Can We Fix It?

So to translate the above in normal people language, Saddam did not actually have any WMD, but was in theory still able to make new ones - which it didn't, because it was trying to co-operate with the inspections, but which it would start doing again as soon as the sanctions were gone.

... contrary to sanctions and requirements, and beyond the awareness of the UN inspection teams, Iraq continued development, domestic manufacture, foreign acquisition, and operational deployment of proscribed conventional weapons systems of various nature.

The report concluded that Iraq persisted in defiance of relevant Security Council Resolutions, that Iraq's dual use facillities could within " ...a matter of days produce substantial quantities" of proscribed agents, using " ... materials on hand" and that Iraq's assets, capabilities, and intentions posed an ongoing threat to both regional and global security."

Nor do I think,

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The Conservative Evangelical Christian movement is determined to impose their religious beliefs on everyone, not just in the US but on the entire world

Our laws forbid murder. That for many religious people is an article of faith. That fact does not invalidate their support for laws prohibiting murder.

However just because they didn't identify agnosticism as a religion doesn't mean it isn't one.

Each family has a right to teach their own children about that family's beliefs about religion and none of us deserves to have our children taught anything about religion other than to instruct children in school to consult their parents on such matters.

The report concluded that Iraq persisted in defiance of relevant Security Council Resolutions, that Iraq's dual use facillities could within " ...a matter of days produce substantial quantities" of proscribed agents, using " ... materials on hand" and that Iraq's assets, capabilities, and intentions posed an ongoing threat to both regional and global security."

All Saddam would have had to do was let the inspectors do their job and yet he didn't do that.

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The report concluded that Iraq persisted in defiance of relevant Security Council Resolutions, that Iraq's dual use facillities could within " ...a matter of days produce substantial quantities" of proscribed agents, using " ... materials on hand" and that Iraq's assets, capabilities, and intentions posed an ongoing threat to both regional and global security."

I keep seeing this portion quoted and I keep wondering..... if they had the capability to "in a matter of days produce substantial quantities" then why didn't they? They had months of drumbeating by the Bush administration after the inspectors had taken their leave, it was obvious to the most casual observer that Bush intended to invade, but the Iraqis .........didn't make a teaspoon of proscribed agents.... so odd. It's as if they really didn't have any capability at all, just determined intentions. Dangerous perhaps but not even close to the imminent threat they were claimed to be.

Carry on.

Joe

nimh wrote:

Wow, Finn's argumentation skills reach a new height. A fellow Southener says it does exist, Finn says no it doesnt. This is gonna be so exciting! ;-)

Well that's a true Dutch Treat, nimh weighing in on a topic of which he has absolutely no knowledge.

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Lola wrote:
However just because they didn't identify agnosticism as a religion doesn't mean it isn't one.

No it doesn't, agnosticism is not a religion regardless of what the founding fathers may have thought of it.

Lola wrote:

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Each family has a right to teach their own children about that family's beliefs about religion and none of us deserves to have our children taught anything about religion other than to instruct children in school to consult their parents on such matters.

I seriously hope this concidered with you considering agnosticism a religion doesn't mean you would refuse to allow schools to teach evolution, heliocentrism, geological history and such.

Unless you would like to consider science as a branch of secular humanism, there should be no religion taught in our schools.

Dangerous perhaps but not even close to the imminent threat they were claimed to be.

Carry on.

Joe

Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?

If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy, and it is not an option.

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To emphasize the important part of my post.........I don't want anyone teaching my children (during and through their lower and middle school years) about their idea of God other than myself or my husband. It's a family matter, clearly.

I'll respond to that as well then. One might find it hard to teach for example history without touching on religion, and as long as only known facts are being taught, and in neutral terms, I don't see a problem. (The Aztecs believed that... sacrifices such and such. The jesuits, jadda jadda, reformation, counterreformation ... Secular humanism arose in the ????s and focuses ... and so on and so forth. As long as no statements are made pertaining to the accuracy of articles of faith, only statements pertaining to the articles of faith themselves, as they actually are/were in certain religions and or denominations I don't see the problem. I see no problem with teaching the verifiable truth.

<muttering>

I haven't met einherjar before. I was simply responding to his comments. I think of myself as good people as well. Perhaps I detected a note of petulance in Einherjar's tone and I was responding to that. Anyway, I doubt that Einherjar requires your protection. He seems like a person who can speak for himself. (I think you're good people too.)

Nice to meet you Einherjar. Sorry if I sounded annoyed..........or that is, for being annoyed. Maybe we should try again.

Cycloptichorn wrote:

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Southern schools are far more integrated than their counterparts up North.

Systematic bigotry in the South while being a historical truth is a modern day canard.

Bull. While we keep it more under the carpet than before, it still exists greatly here in the south.

Cycloptichorn

You are simply wrong.