prostitution in Iraq

[MikeWaters]

this is so depressing.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/...ion/index.html

Imagine you dying and your wife prostituting herself so that her children can survive. And imagine the children being in the same room each standing in a corner (because there is no other room).

Life is unbelievably shitty for so many people on this planet. We prefer not to think about it. We have more pressing things, like our next training ride, or getting that new piece of camping equipment, or calling directv about the mtn, etc.

If only these were the problems of everyone on the planet.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

this is so depressing.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/...ion/index.html

Imagine you dying and your wife prostituting herself so that her children can survive. And imagine the children being in the same room each standing in a corner (because there is no other room).

Life is unbelievably shitty for so many people on this planet. We prefer not to think about it. We have more pressing things, like our next training ride, or getting that new piece of camping equipment, or calling directv about the mtn, etc.

If only these were the problems of everyone on the planet.

Kudos. Waters is no cruel consrevative.

[MikeWaters]

this is a slightly different direction--one could theorize that polygamy could help in situations where there are not enough men and too many women.

This is not some trivial notion I just made up in my head. My great-great grandmother had exactly this happen. Dirt poor in the desert west, her husband just died, kids to take care of. Her husband, before he died, asked his friend to marry her as a second wife and take care of his family. Which this man honored. I have the name of the first husband, but I'm actually blood of the 2nd.

But in Iraq, I presume polygamy is legal. Marrying a dirt poor woman + kids, I'm not sure how that is viewed in their society, but I presume there is not a great incentive to do so.

[/End thought experiment and ruminating]

[Borderline Divine]

If these people had not meekly put up with Saddam they wouldn't be in this mess. Especially the ones who supported him after his henchmen attacked us on 9/11. At least now we are taking the fight to the terrorists, who will just follow us home if we pull our troops out to defend our own borders against filthy illegals.

As soon as we find where Bin-Laden is hiding in either Bagdhad or Fallujah we will have won the war against terrorism. As our President said five years ago to the evildoer "you can run but you can't hide."

God bless our commander-in-chief and I hope he enjoys yet another restful month of August in Crawford, Tx. You can say what you want about the man's politics, but nobody can deny what a hard worker, articulate spokesman and world visionary he is.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Borderline Divine

If these people had not meekly put up with Saddam they wouldn't be in this mess. Especially the ones who supported him after his henchmen attacked us on 9/11. At least now we are taking the fight to the terrorists, who will just follow us home if we pull our troops out to defend our own borders against filthy illegals.

As soon as we find where Bin-Laden is hiding in either Bagdhad or Fallujah we will have won the war against terrorism. As our President said five years ago to the evildoer "you can run but you can't hide."

God bless our commander-in-chief and I hope he enjoys yet another restful month of August in Crawford, Tx. You can say what you want about the man's politics, but nobody can deny what a hard worker, articulate spokesman and world visionary he is.

Is there actually a point being made here?

[MikeWaters]

In seriousness, if you really care about the lives of these people, that is, you value the life of the Iraqi prostitute as much as you value Private Jim Smith of Kentucky, you stay in Iraq.

Of course, most Americans don't value the life of the Iraqi prostitute as much as they value Private Jim Smith of Kentucky.

[Borderline Divine]

Just wondering if her fall came before or after Bush decided to punish Saddam for 9/11?

Also, if US troops are her salvation, well, she is a prostitute now and we have 135,000 troops there now.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

In seriousness, if you really care about the lives of these people, that is, you value the life of the Iraqi prostitute as much as you value Private Jim Smith of Kentucky, you stay in Iraq.

I agree ... we leave now and this will be just the beginning. It's sad enough that it's happening while we are there. One can only hope that the situation continues to get better and that situations like these are minimized.

Despite BD's unabashed bitterness, I truly believe that the future is brighter than the past for these people.

[Borderline Divine]

There are millions of mothers prostituting themselves all around the world, and even here in the good old US of A. Why don't we invade Tijuana and set that city's feet on the path to true democracy?

What is this special debt that America owes to the people of Iraq, that we do not owe to say, Peru, or the Phillipines or Latvia?

Oh, thats right. We invaded Iraq and smashed the hell out of the place, turned out the military and all governmental offices and set a civil war into motion. But we took the fight TO the terrorists, rather than have to fight them here, and that justifies everything.

Just keep cheering the cheer and chanting the chant Tex. If you say things are going to get better in Iraq enough times, it must surely come true, right?

Who looks stupid today over Iraq? France or us?

[Tex]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Is it really that clear to you she's better off in the long run with us there? Do you think she's glad we came in the first place?

It's quite possible this particular woman, and likely many others, are worse off at the moment than under the Saddam regime. It's hard to know ... I have a few books on my shelf detailing horrors under the previous rule. Do you think all Americans were living high-on-the-hog during the Revolutionary War?

In the end, the intent is that what comes out of this difficult period will be better than before. That doesn't mean the interim won't be excruciating. War is hell, there's no denying that.

Originally Posted by Borderline Divine

There are millions of mothers prostituting themselves all around the world, and even here in the good old US of A. Why don't we invade Tijuana and set that city's feet on the path to true democracy?

What is this special debt that America owes to the people of Iraq, that we do not owe to say, Peru, or the Phillipines or Latvia?

Oh, thats right. We invaded Iraq and smashed the hell out of the place, turned out the military and all governmental offices and set a civil war into motion. But we took the fight TO the terrorists, rather than have to fight them here, and that justifies everything.

This is a pretty bankrupt line of thinking that has been responded to time and again. The president laid out his case for why Iraq was worthy of invasion, moreso than other nations. It's clear you don't believe him. Fine.

Originally Posted by Borderline Divine

Just keep cheering the cheer and chanting the chant Tex. If you say things are going to get better in Iraq enough times, it must surely come true, right?

No, but if Petraeus says it, it might.

Originally Posted by Borderline Divine

Who looks stupid today over Iraq? France or us?

War is not a popularity contest. I don't think the men of the American Revolution were considered geniuses at the time by the world either.