Comparing Hussein and Hitler
I find it interesting that the Bush administration likened Saddam Hussein to Adolph Hitler so often; yet, in recent days when people started to take notice that the occupation of Iraq has lasted longer than the amount of time it took to defeat Germany during World War II, the Bush administration was so quick to outline what different situations the two are.
Of course, Iraq and World War II Germany are different; completely different. But when one doesn't want two things compared to each other, they should not liken them to one another. BushCo (as many people call the Bush administration) wanted to make Saddam Hussein out to be the evil dictator that Hitler was. Obviously, Hussein is and was a bad guy.
But he was the same bad guy when:
1. The CIA was funding and aiding in the strategy of the Ba'athist revolution and subsequent 1968 coup (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0420-05.htm)
2. Iraq was lowering its oil prices to the US in the mid 70s (following the 1973 US oil crisis),
3. Iraq was increasing output of oil by nearly 58% from 1975-1980 (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1622264/posts
4. The US was supplying Iraq with intelligence, economic aid, and weapons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Iran_War) in the 7 year+11 months war between Iraq and Iran.
5. Ronald Reagan refused to back sanctions against Iraq after reports of the Kurdish genocide surfaced in 1988 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5690032)
6. James Baker (secretary of state) issued a statement that the US would not invade Iraq if Iraq were to launch hostilities against Kuwait in 1990 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War) - an almost certainty at the time, given that Kuwait was exceeding its OPEC output quota
The 6th is explained at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Kuwait :
Kuwait had heavily funded the 8 year long Iraqi war against Iran. By the time the war ended, Iraq was not in a financial position to repay the $14 billion which it had borrowed from Kuwait to finance its war.[1] Kuwait's reluctance to not pardon the debt created strains in the relationship between the two Arab countries. During late 1989, several official meetings were held between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi leaders but they were unable to break the ice between the two. After the failure of talks, Iraq tried repaying its debts by raising the prices of oil through OPEC's oil production cuts. However, Kuwait, a member of the OPEC, prevented a global increase in petroleum prices by increasing its own petroleum production. This was seen by many in Iraq as an act of aggression, further distancing the countries apart.
It all kind of works together as part of this bullsh*t rhetoric that is so typical of republicans in power right now (and many democrats, as well). Everyone wants to come up with these bold-sounding analogies that do more for effect than actually making true statements.
Of course, Iraq and World War II Germany are different; completely different. But when one doesn't want two things compared to each other, they should not liken them to one another. BushCo (as many people call the Bush administration) wanted to make Saddam Hussein out to be the evil dictator that Hitler was. Obviously, Hussein is and was a bad guy.
But he was the same bad guy when:
1. The CIA was funding and aiding in the strategy of the Ba'athist revolution and subsequent 1968 coup (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0420-05.htm)
2. Iraq was lowering its oil prices to the US in the mid 70s (following the 1973 US oil crisis),
3. Iraq was increasing output of oil by nearly 58% from 1975-1980 (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1622264/posts
4. The US was supplying Iraq with intelligence, economic aid, and weapons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Iran_War) in the 7 year+11 months war between Iraq and Iran.
5. Ronald Reagan refused to back sanctions against Iraq after reports of the Kurdish genocide surfaced in 1988 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5690032)
6. James Baker (secretary of state) issued a statement that the US would not invade Iraq if Iraq were to launch hostilities against Kuwait in 1990 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War) - an almost certainty at the time, given that Kuwait was exceeding its OPEC output quota
The 6th is explained at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Kuwait :
Kuwait had heavily funded the 8 year long Iraqi war against Iran. By the time the war ended, Iraq was not in a financial position to repay the $14 billion which it had borrowed from Kuwait to finance its war.[1] Kuwait's reluctance to not pardon the debt created strains in the relationship between the two Arab countries. During late 1989, several official meetings were held between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi leaders but they were unable to break the ice between the two. After the failure of talks, Iraq tried repaying its debts by raising the prices of oil through OPEC's oil production cuts. However, Kuwait, a member of the OPEC, prevented a global increase in petroleum prices by increasing its own petroleum production. This was seen by many in Iraq as an act of aggression, further distancing the countries apart.
It all kind of works together as part of this bullsh*t rhetoric that is so typical of republicans in power right now (and many democrats, as well). Everyone wants to come up with these bold-sounding analogies that do more for effect than actually making true statements.
posted by Tim C at 11:03 AM
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