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A majority of Americans cling to the infantile notion that our One-Size-Fits-All Capitalistic Democracy can be easily exported to work in any other environment. Even if it takes a little coercing to help freedom take root. Or maybe especially when it needs a little arm twisting?. I guess we must love the challenge. But we ignore that the cultures we impose our systems upon have no similar democratic traditions to ours and have instead developed other unique and creative ways to acheive balanced and workable societies.
In the case or Iraq, Saddam seemed to have a lid on things. He kept a rough peace among Shias & Sunnis. He provided a governmental administration, offered public services, financed & maintained public infrastructures, had at least some kind of health care and education systems. Iraq funcioned, lived, worked and played in relative prosperity.
Considering the mayhem we now know we've created in Iraq, together with the destruction of infrastructure, the lack of services & utilities plus the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed or wounded;
Do you think the Iraqis were better off under Saddam?.
Considering the mayhem we now know we've created in Iraq, together with the destruction of infrastructure, the lack of services & utilities plus the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed or wounded;
Do you think the Iraqis were better off under Saddam?.
The only part of this that I'm planning to debate at the moment, (because the rest I think its to early to discuss until we leave.
The lack of services and utilities? Prior to our invasion, most of Iraq had electricity only 3-6 hours a day (with the exception of bagdad). Its hard to blame us for the destruction of their infrastrusture and lack of services & utilities when they had none before our invasion.
And on the other hand we could indeed be justifiably blamed for the destruction of their medical infrastructure and the flight of most of their doctors and nurses out of the country leading to a rapid increase in infant mortality, among other things. To be fair.
And on the other hand we could indeed be justifiably blamed for the destruction of their medical infrastructure and the flight of most of their doctors and nurses out of the country leading to a rapid increase in infant mortality, among other things. To be fair.
Quite possibly due to the embargo, not sure, but surely it wasnt due to a lack of oil.
People weren't dying in the streets with Saddam. Of course he was a horrible person and did horrible things to his people. However, under Saddam, people could go to the local market and not worry about a suicide bomber or insurgency killing them before they got back. Parents could send their kids to school and they knew to some degree that they would be ok. Not so now.
Not to mention that there seems to be a growing discontent among the Iraqi people about the US military presence. My friends in the military who have served multiple tours say they think it's getting worse, and it looks like the polling proves that to be true.
I don't think we've improved matters in Iraq; folks are fleeing, many are dead, services are insufficient or non-existent, but better under Saddam. I don't know how Iraqis felt under Saddam to make an informed response to that question.
His regime was uneven to say the least and he had his preferences. The hostility between the Sunni and Shia is not new, but has shifted.
I have only empathy and sympathy for the Iraqi people.
I don't think we've improved matters in Iraq; folks are fleeing, many are dead, services are insufficient or non-existent, but better under Saddam. I don't know how Iraqis felt under Saddam to make an informed response to that question.
His regime was uneven to say the least and he had his preferences. The hostility between the Sunni and Shia is not new, but has shifted.
I have only empathy and sympathy for the Iraqi people.
Lol. Sounds again like another "somewhat agree", if you don't think we've improved matters in Iraq.
Which is why I purposely chose not to include the 'I don't know' option. It would make it too easy for people to wiggle-out of giving a sincere opinion.
I think the US was better off before we spent so much blood and $$$ to depose Saddam with little benefit to the US, that's the only way I can vote.
I do agree with this statement. But, to answer the OP's question, and as someone who dated a man who's family escaped from Iraq under Saddam, I would say ABSOLUTELY NOT!! Many of his family members died horrendous deaths for nothing.
Try watching a family, who are thousands of miles away from Iraq, jump from a knock on the door, a telphone ringing, and fear for their life on a daily basis, even knowing that he can't get to them.
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Sounds like a 'somewhat agree' to me.
