On a rainy March morning, in a drab office complex off one of Metro Detroit’s many expressways, I met Mona and Fadi Rabban. In broken English, they greeted me graciously, keeping their heads slightly bowed. The diminutive Fadi was dressed in black jeans and a beat-up leather jacket. His beautiful middle-aged wife donned a thin, black cardigan and black slacks,… return to article
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Reader Comments (9)Page 1 of 1 pagesThis is just another bit of proof that we have no business being over there. I love this country, but we have moved so far away from the intentions of the founders. We were never meant to be an empire, but here we are. We now are spending billions of dollars a week in Iraq, but are shipping our jobs overseas. We may be on the virge of the collapse of an empire. We need to get our own house in order and move away from globalism. It is not our place to police the world. When are we going to take back our government from the corporate elite? Will it be too late.
God bless those people in Iraq. They should know that there are many in America that are sorry for all the havoc that has been wrought in our name.
Posted by anthony.phillips29 on Apr 21, 2008 at 10:27 PM “God bless those people in Iraq.”
Amen. But my heart also goes out to Americans like you who acknowledge their shame for their country’s actions
“We may be on the virge of the collapse of an empire.”
You buttered your bread. Now sleep in it.
Posted by Jiminy Cricket on Apr 22, 2008 at 10:23 PM I want to say that we live in a democracy and I never voted for a Republican and I never will. I didn’t butter my bread, that makes no sense by the way, I have tried to live a life of service, but my fellow Americans have been decieved by the lies of this President. I still love America despite its shortcomings. I would challenge any country to say that they are blameless. Tell me your country and I will list a litany of things that they did wrong.
Posted by anthony.phillips29 on Apr 22, 2008 at 10:46 PM I thought you lived in a republic?
Republican or Democrat? HA ... they all look, sound and walk like ducks to me.
No need to get defensive and please don’t take it too personally because I meant “you” in the collective sense, ie. America has buttered it’s bread. Now sleep in it. ...and it makes plenty of sense.
I never said anyone was blameless.
Posted by Jiminy Cricket on Apr 22, 2008 at 11:25 PM The saying is America has made its bed, now lay in it. If you butter your bread then you eat it. What country are you from?
Posted by anthony.phillips29 on Apr 23, 2008 at 7:27 AM Wouldn’t laying in buttered bread be worse than laying in a bed?
Or maybe you could make your bed and eat it (too?)?Yes, I am familiar with the classic versions of the phrases but I couldn’t resist combining them for a giggle to lighten the harshness of my condemnation.
I am from Canada (a federation of provinces and territories with a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy) ... aka Canuckistan.
Posted by Jiminy Cricket on Apr 23, 2008 at 8:57 PM But to get back to the subject of the article ...
Can we agree that the justifications for the aggressive invasion of Iraq were based on lies and were swallowed hook line and sinker by the majority of apathetic Americans (and more than a few gullible Canadians too I’m sure)? And the justifications for the continuing military occupation of Iraq are just as lame (maybe even lamer)?
Can we agree that the invasion and occupation of Iraq has made living conditions for most Iraqis worse than they were compared to when Saddam was their ruler?
Can we agree that the use of depleted uranium munitions by American and British forces in the invasion and occupation of Iraq (and more than a few other countries in the past few decades, ie. Afghanistan) has turned the country (and even the region) into a toxic and radioactive dumping grounds?
Can we agree that George Bush is a war criminal (and many others too)?
Posted by Jiminy Cricket on Apr 23, 2008 at 9:29 PM We can agree on all of this. I am sorry if I came across as crass. We need to all figure out what we can do to get out of this mess.
Posted by anthony.phillips29 on Apr 26, 2008 at 8:19 PM Agreed. Thank you but no apology was necessary as no offence was taken. I have a few ideas what to do: USA (and the coalition of the willling to do the killing) gets the hell out of Iraq (and Afghanistan) followed by war crime trials with reparations and restitution. The hard part will be the how to do it.
Posted by Jiminy Cricket on Apr 26, 2008 at 9:00 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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