Questioning Iraq's "Oppression"

Today at a facility I occasionally go to for my business, I met a guy who is
half British and half Iraqi. The father side of his family, including his
own father, currently lives in Iraq. I took the opportunity to ask him a
bunch of questions.

Unlike many political refugees from Iraq, he is opposed to the war. The
picture of the "oppression" that the American media and politicians paint
seems to be exaggerated. According to him, most people are not happy about
Saddam's regime, but they are not necessarily crying about it every day
(which is the picture you get from the American media). They live a rather
normal life with a certain amount of frustration. It is like the way many
people in the US are unhappy and frustrated about the Bush administration.
He does not believe that the Iraqi people will view the American soldiers to
be their friends who liberated them. If some country were to invade the US
by force and ousted Bush, would those who were frustrated with him feel
liberated and happy about the invasion? No. The same scenario.

One of the issues that was troubling me to simply say no to war was that I
wasn't sure how bad this "oppression" was. If people were getting tortured,
raped, and killed every day in the manners that the media describe, then
there is certainly a humanitarian concern. I do still believe that these
inhumane activities go on in Iraq, but the picture I am getting from the
media seems to be blown out of proportion.

My chat with this half Iraqi half British man today was enlightening. Again,
I must see this as his interpretation, and my interpretation of his
interpretation, but it did influence my position. I am now more inclined to
say no to war.

-Dyske

–
Dyske Suematsu
http://www.dyske.com
Where Nothing Is Everything