Liberation Without War?

[chaz64]

When the decision was made to invade Iraq, I really had mixed feelings about it. No one could be against Saddam being removed from power, but was invasion the only way? Would it really make us safer?

Now with the London bombing it is obvious that this War on Terror is not going to be won anytime soon. It also made me think about a book I read recently on peaceful resistance and its role in toppling dictatorships. The author also wrote this piece (http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&mode=printer_fri endly&issue=soj0402&article=040221) on Iraq. It further convinces me that the invasion was likely a mistake. But would peaceful resistance have worked?

[lehighguy]

It's certainly a nice idea. But I think the author overestimates the ability of non-violent movements to overthrow our most despotic regimes. He focuses on instances where the government was unwilling or unable to use force to squash the uprising. This is not always the case, and certainly not in the worst dictatorships.

In the Iraq case there was such an up-rising in 1991 after the Kuwait war (although this was violent). Despite losing control of nearly all of Iraq's provinces, Saddam was able to eventually crush the rebellion. Had US troops defended the rebels (like we said we would) then perhaps things would have come out differently.

I share similair concerns about North Korea. The brutality of Kim knows no bounds. He would kill a million of his own people and not flinch. It seems to me that if you have a leader willing to kill an unlimited number of people, and his power rests on a select few, and he cuts his country off from the outside world entirely, then he ain't going away.

[[censored]]

a new wrapping perhaps but inside yet the same old package "did you support the invasion of Iraq"

[lastchance]

Agreed. However, it is possible to create regime change through the powers of economics and trade. Military policy was not why the US beat the Soviet Union, it was because of trade and economics. Letting other countries open up to the world will allow economic opprotunity to burst into political freedom. A hard-line stance that doesn't go all the way is not effective at all, compared to capitalism's biggest advantages.

America's got more money. Use it.

[lehighguy]

Agreed. Its how we're handling China. But each case is different. Hence my clause: the worst and most tyranical regimes that are cut off from the world economic system.