How do you think we won our independence and freedom?

Question

We had help from other countries, France encluded. Why shouldn't we return the favor and help other countries gain their independence? Aren't the strong obligated to help the weak? Or is that only if they don't have a commodity that would help us such as oil? If they were completely without assets would it be OK to help then?

Answer 1

so like are you proposing we need france again?

Answer 2

I agree with Coragryph, what we did was nothing like the revolution that took place in our country.

Our government took it upon themselves to decide what was right for the people of Iraq. The people of Iraq did not instigate it, or ask for it. Infact, in the final days before the bombs were dropped, they asked us very strongly to stay away. That they, as a people were happy and fine with their state of affairs.

Who are we to decide what is right for someone else? It's different when they ask for our help, but in the case of Iraq, they did not ask us for anything.

We are there simply for one reason, and one reason only, to get the oil. To control it. That's it, plain and simple.

Of course no one can argue that Sadaam was not a good person. But, just as we decide who is in charge of our government, the people of Iraq have the right to have theirs.

If they were that unhappy, then it would have been known, they would have overthrown the government and/or asked for help in doing so. This is not the case.

Even our own military, who has been so brave and loyal to "occupy" and serve in Iraq will tell you now, that there is no point for us to be there. That the original meaning is lost, and it's just for oil control.

We have not liberated this country, we have become terrorists ourselves to them. This is how most of the Iraqi people feel. That we are "occupying" them. Not helping. Sure lots of good deeds have been done on an individual basis. And our troops have to be commended for their service. That does not mean that they agree with it, or that it's right for us to be there.

Getting back to the original comments.

I don't think a country having a commodity should have any thing to do with the decision to "liberate" them. It should be help given, for help asked for. Period. And only if it poses a direct threat to us if we don't intervine. But, at this point, we can't even keep our own country safe, so we need to bring the troops home, and get our own country together, before we go helping anyone else.

We need to take care of our own, before we can dare to say that we should take care of anyone else.

Answer 3

You didn't.

Answer 4

Without France we never would have won our freedom, but if you think France did it more to help us than to stick it to England, their historic enemy, you are woefully mistaken.

BTW, the Bourbons paid a high price for helping us out.  They nearly bankrupted their treasury and returning French troops brought home ideas about liberty and self governance.  The American Revolution was the prelude to the French Revolution.

And Coragryph is right.  The American Revolution, and Frances involvement in it, is not a good comparison for what is going on in Iraq.  France didn't get involved until we started the revolt and proved our mettle and determination; they didn't start the Revolution for us.

Answer 5

You forget that we live in a capitalist society.

There is no obligation for the strong to help the weak.

A Coca-Cola CEO said that if his competitor were drowning in the pool he would put a hose in his mouth.  The strong helping the weak is a christian notion.  

The Iraqis are fighting right now for their freedom and independence.  Have they even asked for our help?

I learned long ago that if someone I didn't know wanted to help me the best thing I could do was get away as soon as possible.

Answer 6

We started the process of making ourselves free, and we asked for help from other countries while we did most of the work ourselves.

That's different than arbitrarily deciding some other country needs to be free, deposing their govt, hand-picking a replacement regime, and then doing the work until they can get on their feet.

If Iraqi citizens had staged a revolution, deposed Saddam themselves, and then turned to us for help -- that would be a parallel analogy. What we did was nowhere close to that.