The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Greetings, Elga Sutter sadly concluded from someone's response that CASI is no longer the place for addressing concerns over injustices in Iraq. While it may be true that "people are simply burnt out from the efforts of many years," it seems to me that insensitive remarks by one should be seen, and accepted, as outbursts to vent frustration and a sense of failure. The manifestly emotional reasoning goes like this: We have tried hard. We couldn't stop the war. Our actions were ineffective. Why bother with collecting more proof that the attackers are wrong? We've known this all along, for all the good that did! Elga feels discouraged by the assertion that, "while such messages may be useful for those who are just beginning to wake to the truth, for most of us on this list, they are redundant." Such words can only be understood as angry reaction to a felt sense of impotence. It should not be mistaken for a valid assessment of the psychology or demographics of CASI. First, to the best of my knowledge, CASI is not a static entity. There is both attrition and influx. No member can know what the level of knowledge of other members is, nor what the preferences for information might be. Second, the very fact that massive worldwide antagonism to US/UK bellicosity was unable to thwart its progress, indicates that critical elements of the dynamic are as yet unclear. Gaps can only be closed with new data from continued observation. The task of breaking through fog blown by a vast propaganda machine, entails building context from the chronology of activities. Elga's hope "that these questions, and more, would be of interest to CASI members," is well-founded. Her conclusion that "evidently I was mistaken," is not. It is self-evident that a running discourse on modus operandi would offer hope for grasping true motives, and by extension, vulnerabilities. Elga asks, "has USAID implemented barring of Iraqi firms on the grounds that Iraq is not part of the "free world"? If so, who instructed USAID? The State Department?" I won't presume to speak for CASI members, but to me such questions are vital and sharp. I'll pursue lines like these in future posts. Only the intent of my current post lets me resist the temptation of taking up promising questions like "am I correct in saying that reconstruction work is illegal until sanctions are lifted, going by UN resolutions?" I firmly agree with Elga, " that asking critical questions may prevent further injustice being done to the Iraqis and their country." Not only that, but it'll do wonders for lifting a smokescreen of obfuscation that succeeded so abominably well in mustering the domestic support for an insane course by the US/UK. I sincerely hope that Elga will reconsider not asking any more questions on CASI. Best regards, JPH _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk