I don't usually respond once I've posted, as most people's minds are sufficiently closed for that to be a waste of time. Further, there are some who become personal in their responses; they don't seem to realise that it demeans their arguments and does little for their credibility.
However you have asked some genuine questions so I will answer.
The UN has been a toothless tiger historically so why would this change?
Ask yourself why the UN is a toothless tiger? Because it suits some countries that it be so. Self interest rules supreme. Hence the US and Australia fail to ratify the greenhouse bill for example, the US fails to ratify the child labour bill etc etc. What alternative do we have? Is it better that all countries go their own way or that we at least attempt to work towards a UN that works because without the UN, it seems to me, we go back to chaos. What is the alternative? We as citizens need to think for the global good and make sure our polticians represent us at the UN and not the vested interests that fund them.
do you believe that Iraq hasn't been building weapons of mass destruction?
This should really be two questions: a)Do I belive they are building WOMD? Answer: I really don't know and I don't belive either the US or Britain know either. b)Are they prepared to use WOMD if they have them? Again, I don't know but I suspect not. Saddam knows only too well what would happen if he did. Bottom line here is that there plenty of countries with known WOMD and the capabability of using them but we are not preparing to go to war against them. Why? because we have no reason to believe that they are going to be deployed. Same argument with Iraq. If we get irrefutable evidence that Saddam plans to use WOMD against any country then I'd be the first to say he must be stopped but so far there is none.
Do you believe that terrorism is a result of the western worlds way of life?
Tough question. To answer properly would take a book or two! To be truthful, and I've thought and read about this a good deal I think there are multiple reasons for the gulf between Islam and the West many of which I don't fully understand. Clearly, historically the enmity between Islam and Judaism is at the root of the problem. The US and Britain do not have a lot to be proud of in the way they have exploited and manipulated the Islamic state and this has certainly been a useful focus for the more rabid elements of Islam. In my view what is most important is for us to solve the Arab Israeli conflict. This seems central to the whole problem of terrorism. How do we achieve this? Better heads than mine can't seem to solve this one. I only know what will NOT solve the Arab Israeli conflict and that is what is happening now. There's a great Simpsons cartoon where Bart is beating his head against a brick wall as part of his investigation for his science project. He bashes his head against the wall says "Ow" and does it again. Stupid right? Thus the Palestinians send in their suicide bombers and the Israelis move in the tanks and shell a few more houses and on each side more innocent people die. And then they do it all over again. Have they learnt nothing? Has their eye for an eye and blood for blood ethos completely blinded them? You have only to look at the rhetoric on both sides to see that they don't even see each other as human. We're all guilty of such stupidity from time to time. You have only to look at the desperate and continuous interest rate cuts by the US fed to see that even though they have cut rates 12 times now they are still not having the desired effect. No matter that it didn't work in JApan. No, they just cut and cut until...well... I'm sure you see what I mean. At least the interest rate cuts are not life threatening but the A/I conflict is, not just for them but ultimately for us. Maybe I'm callous if I say the Palestinians and the Israelis can do themselves in if they want to but when they export their problem to the rest of the world then I think we all need to have a say in what needs to be done to sort the problem out. Where best to say that than in the UN?
If we all keep quiet long enough do you think it will go away?
Not at all. But what do we do? Do we invade Iraq for no good reason other than Shrub says so just so that he can gain control of the oilfields or to appease the zionists in his cabinet? Do we create the precedent that the US can invade any country it feels like when it wants to? Do we fuel the racial hatred that is growing around the world? Until I see evidence to the contrary, I believe Iraq is a sideshow, a red herring that has nothing to do with the central issue. Do you really think that invading Iraq will solve anything? No, it will only make matters worse.
