How US support boosted Saddam Hussein

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

BadCompany said:

Glass houses my friend, glass houses.

You may think it is only a "bit of ribbing" but your fellow allies in this debate are taking your cue and pushing the limits. Witness the childish name calling by Spozzy (what the heck is a piggedly-wiggedly?).

If you want to debate me, you need to be a bit more respectful yourself.

I believe "Higgledy-Piggledy" is a reference to an ancient Pictish rite of the vernal equinox - Hig lady, Pig Lady. Details are sketchy, but one of the main elements of this celebration is pork products.

[Cranky]

I was trying to find out what Higgledy-Piggledy means but to no avail. Spozzy needs to explain what it means.

There is far too much venom in this debate. Even things that would normally taken in humour are now setting of steam whistles and overpressure alarms. Yes, I am guilty of couching edginess in catchy phrases and sarcasm. My pet peeve is that we have flooded the debate with slanted articles and not taken to what we are really good at. Debating one another and exchanging personal opinions. I will repent my evil ways. “Whip…ouch…whip…ouch….whip…..I like it….”(sick)

No one is going to change anyone’s mind here so we should drop temperature of the debate and start to respect one another like we always have done. This debate has far surpassed any low points and is drowning in sh*t in some places.

I propose we lock ALL the threads other then the History Repeating Itself and the Alliances threads. Originally I was going to propose that we delete them but there is lot of debate in there that is good and interesting.

You know what. I am going to lock some threads and if another moderator thinks that they should be left open, I will not take offence to that. All I am trying to do with locking them is to douse the fires.

My post, or word if you wish, is not the "final" answer because I am far too involved in it. If another moderator wants to add to this. PLEASE DO.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

I don't have a problem with any of the threads remaining open, and I would prefer that they maintain that status. To quote another post of mine from another forum:

"I can't deny it, this war is pre-"occupying" me. I'll try to cool down my retorts.

Personally, I'm loving the whole atmosphere of passonate involvement. I don't think any of our guidance systems are precise enough to allow significant direct damage to be done. Besides, I'd say we've built up and/or stockpiled sufficient armour to ward off any pre-emptive strikes. And we are by and large following the rules of engagement."

The heat factor doesn't bother me, as I trust all concerned to hold back from using WMD when tempted. I think as battle lines are defined and the initial probing for weak spots, and attempts to cow the "enemy" subside, a weary respect is tending to sink in. And I fervently believe that a broadening of the knowledge (propaganda, if one must) base leads to a less feverish and more reasonable level of discussion.

We all know fairly well where each of us stands on the issue. The key, and tricky part, is not to take differing perspectives and methods of approach as personal affronts.

I'm glad that we feel as strongly as we do. I'd rather that than a milque-toast "yeah whatever" reaction to events which are likely to have far reaching consequences on many levels, in many lives, around the globe.

Joust away I say. Let's just remember that no-one has "the answer" or "the right way" to present and build their case. It's a big world, after all. Despite the often super-heated nature of reactions I bear no enmity toward anyone, no matter how strongly I may disagree with a particular post.

I have no interest in censoring anyone, but rather trust that each of does our best to censor ourselves.

But that's just me: I'm the guy who hangs out at The Sveti Yeti Café, reciting the poetry of the dead in true Himalayan stylee to the accompaniment of my non-animal skin bongos.

Peace out.

[PTH]

HabsAddict said:

My pet peeve is that we have flooded the debate with slanted articles and not taken to what we are really good at. Debating one another and exchanging personal opinions. I will repent my evil ways. “Whip…ouch…whip…ouch….whip…..I like it….”(sick)

Problem is, unless we bring in outside info, it's just about impossible to make any kind of a point. I say A, someone else says B, how can we get beyond that point ? Ressources, references, etc. And unlike hockey, hockeydb.com doesn't have all the answers.

Interestingly enough, we've seen a lot more articles by the "anti-this-war" side of things than the pro-war side. Not sure what that means exactly, but it's gotta mean something.

[MC Habber]

Another article: www.canada.com/national/features/iraq/story.html?id=D273464A-6F2D-4680-B9B0-5CD262CB724B

DETROIT -- America's most reviled enemy and the keystone in the "Axis of Evil" was once presented the keys to the city of Detroit.

As missiles rain down on Saddam Hussein and hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops prepare to launch an assault on Baghdad, Pastor Jacob Yasso of Detroit's Sacred Heart Parish recalls handing the key to Saddam with the greetings of then-mayor Coleman Young in 1980, on the 50th anniversary of the church.

"Times were different back then," Yasso, 70, said Wednesday. Saddam "was the friend of the United States at the time, a puppet who relied on U.S. backing to counter the threat of Iran. The Ba'ath Party itself only existed because of support from the U.S."

[spozzy]

BadCompany said:

Glass houses my friend, glass houses.

You may think it is only a "bit of ribbing" but your fellow allies in this debate are taking your cue and pushing the limits. Witness the childish name calling by Spozzy (what the heck is a piggedly-wiggedly?).

If you want to debate me, you need to be a bit more respectful yourself.

Respect? Way to lead by example, BC. If you'd bother to open up a dictionary, you'd have a clue....
__________

hig·gle·dy-pig·gle·dy
adv.
In utter disorder or confusion: “There is something delightfully and liberatingly ludicrous about parading higgledy-piggledy in a line of walkers of all shapes and sizes” (Christa Worthington).

adj.
Topsy-turvy; jumbled.
[Origin unknown.]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
---------
higgledy-piggledy

\Hig`gle*dy-pig"gle*dy\, adv. In confusion; topsy-turvy. [Colloq.] --Johnson.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
---------
higgledy-piggledy

adj : in utter disorder; "a disorderly pile of clothes" [syn: disorderly, hugger-mugger, jumbled, topsy-turvy] adv : in a disordered manner; "they were piled up higgledy-piggledy" [syn: topsy-turvy]
Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

[MC Habber]

www.markfiore.com/animation/dictator.html