War

[oyceter]

anniesj has an interesting thread going on about the war, which got me all pondery again.

I just have no idea what to think. I have a problem with America going in and throwing foreign regimes they think are oppressive, because way back when during the Cold War, that meant all Communist governments, even though sometimes the people preferred the Communist candidates to the corrupt officials supported by America. And I know Saddam obviously isn't some benevolent ruler, but I always wonder. Because to me, Mao was in no way a benevolent ruler, but some of the people I know in China today think he's a hero. So I just don't know whose opinions count more. I'm also kind of leary about pre-emptive striking, especially when we're doing it without world support. I agree that it could set a very bad precedent, perhaps with China, particularly because we're bucking UN decision, which opens a way for others to do it.

I have a very love-hate relationship with this country, which is almost my country, and yet, not quite.

Currently, the attitude toward the official aspect of the country is edging heavily toward hate. I admit quite readily that I'm not educated at all about the war thing, so I don't know any specifics about the Patriot Act. I also admit very readily that a lot of the stuff I read is highly biased. But to be honest, the entire Patriot Act really scares me. I don't have anything to hide, really, but I just don't like the thought that the government can just dig through my records because I'm from Taiwan. I just feel that no matter how much of this putting aside of civil liberties they do, they're never going to be able to catch all these incidents when they come up, like Columbine. In certain areas, I feel violations of my person and my property is very necessary, like in airports when they ALWAYS pat me down and dig through my luggage and embarrass me because I have dirty underwear in there. That makes me feel better, in a way. I know it's really annoying, especially since I fly a lot, and I know sometimes the rules are very arbitrary (I'm going to kill someone with my round-tip tweezers. Really.), but I just think airplanes are an area where you kind of give up certain things. And airport security before 9/11 was a joke.

Anyway, I'm getting a little off topic. What I really mean to say is what I hate the most about this war is what it's doing to America. This is why I don't like war. It's so hard to wage war and not become polarized. Just working, I overhear so many jokes against the French because they're not siding with America or how everyone should follow America or something. I'm scared of reports that tell of Sikhs getting yelled at because they wear turbans. I have a friend here who's a Sikh, and he told me he was walking one day last year and got called "Osama" and eyed suspiciously by any number of people. I don't want something like the Japanese internment camps happening here again. I guess I just kind of wish there were a way to do this while still realizing that it's not really our right to wage war or to police the world. I don't really think anyone has the right to wage war. And while I can see the necessity of getting Saddam out of power and Iraq de-weaponized (?), I can also see this already turning into a huge us-against-them mentality in which we are completely justified in bombing another country. Because we're not. We never are. No one ever is. I guess that's my problem with war in general, even though I know it's a completely impractical philosophy for the real world.

*sigh*

Sometimes I wish I didn't live in the real world.

Comments

Hope you don't mind me barging in

[(Anonymous)]

Wanted to say "hi" since I think I kind of know you from that one time you posted on the All Things Philosophical on BtVS & AtS board. I found your livejournal by random chance a while back, jumping through Buffy related links.

I wanted to say how much your above entry really crystalised so many of my own thoughts about this upcoming (as it seems inevitable) war with Iraq. I'm not educated about politics at all, and reading about it second-hand in people's LJs probably isn't the best way for me to start learning, but I've got a default setting of "pacifism" just because I hate the idea of people being killed if there's any other possible way. So I guess the question of whether there is any other possible way is one we (or really, you guys, since I'm Canadian) have got to answer.

Saddam really does seem all kinds of evil, but your comment about Mao and China is also important to consider. The U.S. makes it policy to "police" other nations -- and this scares me, even while a teeny-tiny part of me whispers I should be glad somebody is keeping an eye on the Saddam types. It scares me because I know the U.S. watches even Canada. The Patriot Act allows the government to legally pull all your files? I often wonder if the Secret Service or CIA or something doesn't also pull up my files. Because it wouldn't surprise me if they did (well, if I was more important than just insignificant me). I watch too much Nikkita.

Eh, sorry, this is getting too depressing. Didn't mean to clutter up your LJ with my garbage. One more thing to add:

I'm scared of reports that tell of Sikhs getting yelled at because they wear turbans. I have a friend here who's a Sikh, and he told me he was walking one day last year and got called "Osama" and eyed suspiciously by any number of people.

Yeah, we had a few incidents like this as well, right after 9/11. And I just want to really ask, do people even bother to notice that these are two very different religions?

Okay, really am done now. On the happy side, I really like your "mmm watermelon" background. Is tres cute ;) Also, I'm very much enjoying Buffy and Angel this season. Will be extremely sad when Buffy ends for good. Please come back to All Things Philosphical and post some more! We're very nice people, if I do say so myself :)

~ Scroll

Re: Hope you don't mind me barging in

[oyceter]

Hi! I remember you ^_^. I read your All Things Philosophical posts all the time! Just haven't been trolling around the board as much lately because of nasty real life events (i.e. thesis).

I know what you mean though... I feel so conflicted about this war because my first knee jerk reaction is to say something like "all war is stupid." I don't like violence very much. I'm from Taiwan too (born in the US, grew up there, back in the US for college), and sometimes I can't help get bristly at US "policing" and foreign politics, mostly because sometimes I just want to yell, "Other countries exist!" And yet, as the boy pointed out, if the US doesn't do it, then what?

I've always wondered how Canadians feel, especially with the sometimes snide comments people here can make. But anyway, thanks for the comments! Hope to see you soon back on the board ^_^.