472 thoughts on “Kingdom of Rain”

1. The people that you so kindly refered to as “freaks” have not done anything to harm us such as bomb Canada for anything have we…oh except for the USA – when then bombed and killed our own soldiers not too long ago…Ya thanks for the defense as we have soooo many enemies… Ya our medical care system sucks, compared to yours which is sooooo great…sorry for coming down to support your medical care system – those damn sick people they’re so “sneaky”. You make think that Canada is “using” the USA, but where do you think you are getting a lot of your water, wood, oil, and electricity from?
   Vancouver Island was just expressing an opinion, which I thought was supposed to be respected in the USA due to “freedom of speech”. I am an imigrant and I am not a “freak” – actually you are an imigrant too…just one with seniority. It is the uncontroled and unjustified anger like what you expressed that is disturbing and truly scary – no wonder there is so much violence in the US.

2. Synchronicity , actually I didn’t say that Mark Steyn did. He’s a well respected Canadian columnist who is regularly published in a number of respected publications in the US, Canada, and Europe.
   Like I said I know a lot of Canadians and grew up with Canada as part of my normal daily life(Stampede Wrestling and Captain Canuck comics were a staple of my childhood). What distresses is me is that the Canada that I grew up knowing has changed so radically that it is frightening. I know what Canada has and does continue to provide to the world. But the elites who control your country are destroying it. Everyday I see Canada becoming less Canadian and more, well, Old Europe. I know that a sizeable percentage of Canadians would like to stop this degradation but they can’t stop fighting each other long enough to strive for their common interests. So while the moderate to far right won’t work together the left are united largely by a cultural inferiority complex as to their relationship to the US. It’s very scary and I fear for Canada’s future.

3. Don’t worry now about the writing being “good”. At this stage, that shouldn’t be what it’s about.
   What you should be asking yourself is: is this the book I want to put out? Are these the things that I want to put out in front of the world, the things that I want to take from myself, free myself from bearing all their weight, and have people react to? I suspect the answer is “yes”.
   And if it is “yes”, then that is fine. Some people will react well to it, some people will react badly to it, and it all may have no logic. Just as there are people who troll you for their own need to feel better than someone, and just as there are those who will kiss up to you for your fame, people will react to your work based more on what’s in themselves than on what’s in your work.
   They like it, they don’t like it, it doesn’t matter so much. What matters is that you put it out and give them the chance to react to it.

4. Hey, Mala —
   Since you’re new in this country, I’ll cut you a little slack and let you plead ignorance, but here’s a little lesson for you: freedom of speech DOES NOT mean freedom from criticism. Vancouver Island is free to say what he wants, and we are free to disagree with him. See how that works?
   Unfortunately, you must have been talking to some of our more left-leaning citizens, because any time they get criticized, a lot of them start bitching and moaning about “censorship,” “hostile environments,” and “fascism,” as if those complaints have any basis in fact.
   Vancouver Island stated his view, others responded, free speech wins the day. O.K., civics lesson is over — now go read some Jonah Goldberg or Mark Steyn.

5. Dear Will,
   Take some advice from somebody who knows. If you let what others have to say get you then you’re giving them unnessecary power over you and that compromising your ability to think and act clearly on your own behalf. Allow me to go into more detail,I was born with a disability (I don’t want pity or any of that patronizing crap, if had enough that to last me a lifetime). If had let people tell me what to do or say I would not be where I am today (a newly graduated college student with an income coming in and generally enjoying life) In short, give them hell, because you’re the only one who can, it’s your life after all.

6. NYC
   Hey there. How you doing? Its good to hear (read?) from you. I’m not going to go into a big post just now, because I’m exhausted and am going to get some sleep. I’ll get back to you tomorrow – when I’m awake.
   I so tired because I just spent all day being part of a 60,000 strong anti-war march. I didn’t see any anti-semitic sentiment…I saw a lot of people, young to old, from all walks of life (including war veterans!) who don’t agree with the case for the war as it currently stands. Most of those who I talked to would like to see Saddam toppled…we just don’t see why we have to drop 8000+ cruise missiles on Iraq (estimated numbers…) to do it.
   Maybe there were anti-semites in the march…but I was marching for peace and nothing else.
   But im too tired to explain my feelings about this just now. Anyone…ANYONE…who wants to talk to me further on this, my E-mail is [email protected].
   Oh, and the Jedi thing is true…it was a protest against religion being included in the census.
   Chow for now.

7. Wil, you’re 30. I’m 30, and I stopped caring what most other people thought years ago. Mind you, you probably don’t have as sad a music collection as I do…
   As for the war thing, your postings remind me that not all Americans are blind Republicans who follow the oil barons and whoever else runs your country, and by that definition, the world. One million people protested against this war in the UK today, and all the pro-war lobby can argue is that this is a moral crusade against a bad man. Saddam is a bad man, but then so is Robert Mugabe, and I don’t see anyone rushing to Zimbabwe’s rescue.

8. Yeah, no one is trying to stop Mugabe yet, not even the people he’s getting ready to starve to death. Heck, the French are embracing him and welcoming him with open arms. Too bad more people can’t follow in the footsteps of those moral giants.

9. Yes, Nick P, all of us who are in favor of being willing to use military force if necessary against Iraq after twelve years of defiance are just drones who have no minds of our own. After all, how could we possibly disagree with you if we actually thought about what we believed in?
   Hell, if it makes you feel better to tell yourself that, then knock yourself out. I’m sure you were/would have been against the arms buildup that finally ended the Cold War, too. Silly lefties — ever since Vietnam, you’ve been on the wrong side of every serious geopolitical debate that’s been had.

10. I think a poster earlier captured the tenor of this entire string quite accurately:
    “Peace in our time”
    Don’t worry about Saddam, he doesn’t have any WMDs.
    And if even if he does have 30,000 tons of chem-bio weapons, he’s no threat.
    He wouldn’t dream of selling them or giving them to Osama and friends, would he? Why, they hate each other, they have nothing in common. Just like Germany and Japan in WWII.
    And if we don’t do anything, the terrorists won’t think we’re weak and indecisive. Ideas like that NEVER cross their minds.
    When Osama and Hamas and Hezbollah say they want to kill all of us, they don’t mean it do they? They’ve never done anything that would make you think otherwise, have they?differently
    Let’s just let it be, who cares about the Middle East?
    Saddam would never try to conquer the Middle East, and even if he does, so what? He can determine the fate of the world economy, what business is it of ours?
    Bush is just an insane rich guy. Rich TV and movie stars know much better how we should conduct foreign policy. Martin Sheen and George Clooney, there’s your real leaders.
    Better to just close your eyes.
    And close your ears. That way you won’t have to hear the screams of millions when they’re dying under clouds of Sarin.

11. My Pledge To Hollywood’s Anti-War Spokespeople.
    I promise to join your cause with the following conditions:
    1. George Clooney, Martin Sheen, Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris and all the rest promise to NEVER, EVER appear in any movie or television show in which they portray American soldiers.
    2. As believers in peace at any cost, said actors, and including Wil Wheaton, will NEVER, EVER again appear in any movie or television show in which any violence shown.
    3. Said actors will immediately forsake any and all royalties for films and television shows in which they portrayed American soldiers or in which there was violence. They will also agree to return all payments and salaries accuring to them for their portrayals in said films and television shows.
    That includes you Wil, because as I remember you were in a television program in which war and violence was a central plot theme.
    Do these things, prove that you are not hypocrites and I’ll happily join you.

12. NYC
    Thought I was going to bed a while back, but I’m still not there. Been up thinking for a while. You know, it finally hit me after the rallies today what is really going on. I mean, I was standing there today protesting for peace, when it suddenly hit me: I’m surrounded by fucking communists, anarchists, and other assorted radicals. These people don’t want peace — they are just using this whole anti-war stuff as their latest excuse to protest something. These are the same people who were out marching in the anti-globalization protests, and many of them are former anti-Vietnam protesters, still out here regurgitating the same tired old rhetoric. Do these same people really give a rat’s ass about the people of Iraq, or the oppressed people of any other country for that matter? Hell no! They’re too busy protesting the Marines holding a few fucking terrorists in prison down at Gitmo to care about the REAL problems in the world. What a bunch of losers!
    So the upshot is that I have now seen the anti-war protests for the sham they are and I have come over to the rational side. Let’s go kick Saddam’s ass!

13. I read this post on Friday night and it’s one of the reasons I went to the war protest today. I have pictures here:
    http://scribbling.net/entry/259/
    Thanks for the kick in the ass. Good luck with the book.

14. Hey Fluffy,
    Thank God, your eyes have finally been opened! I’m so glad to read that! Vie ve la Fluffy! I personally would not want to be seen demonstrating – demanding the protection of a known serial killer and general sociopath.
    You know I think that Saddam should be viewed this way.
    The best way to demonstraye this is to imagine that the Mayor of Edinburgh was murdered and the murderer took over his office and starting making laws on the old Mayor’s letterhead. Anyone not cutting the mayor in on a piece of the action in the city is killed. He then tries to go out and take over other towns the same way. Hey, that is a description of Saddam. Then flash forward, people in China start protesting to protect this guy, the mass murderer and guy acting like he has an actual legitimate government, but it is just a criminal enterprise. That would be truely offensive wouldn’t it?
    Well I am offended by those who would protect this crook, this madman, Saddam. God help us Fluffy!
    I too saw, on the tv, the protesters, and like 90% are older than dirt. No wonder they were protesting, they were probably thinking their social security would be cut if we invaded Iraq. Maybe Geritol will be rationed.
    May the Force be with you,
    NYC

15. So I had to be on the streets around Grand Central late this afternoon, as the demonstration was breaking up. Now, I grant that there are morally serious people against the war. I just didn’t see any of them today. This is what I saw: a child whose parents hung a poster around her neck that read: MORE CANDY AND ICE CREAM/LESS WAR AND BIGOTRY. I’m not making that up. I also saw this slogan on a poster: THE IRAQI PEOPLE NEED OUR LOVE, NOT OUR BOMBS. Ooh yeah, and mean people suck.
    I also saw a woman carrying a poster that had an image of President Bush with a Hitler mustache drawn on. I nearly lost it over that. What kind of decent person would have anything to do with a movement that likened the President of the United States to a genocidal mass murderer? To hell with these people. Just to see them walking the street is to put oneself in touch with one’s inner Teamster.
    By the way, one of four lesbians I stood with as they tried to cross the street said, “It didn’t snow today. Goddess was with us!” It was that kind of day in New York.

16. This for the PRO-WAR people-
    By the logic you’re using to justify a war with Iraq, we can apply that to over 30 more countries in violation of U.N. resolutions with levels of human rights violations equal or worse than that of Saddam. If we’re going to go in to war with Iraq (Which we obviously are) when do you expect it to stop? I personally would bet five hundred dollars Iran, Pakistan, and most of the middle east with stances of hostility against America (in their population) will fall. Then what? Do we take it to Africa who has tyrants worse than Saddam, slaughtering their own people? I don’t dispute the problems with Saddam, but the world has many more leaders like him. It’s not a matter of there being a case or not, it’s a matter of are we prepared to tear this world apart, smash any who oposes us, even long time allies if they stand in the way?
    What I’m seeing in America, a country I’ve grown up loving and supporting is the beginning of a tyranny. We’re starting with a administration who honestly believes we’re doing this for the good of the world, with a majority of the country (people like yourself) under the perception “for the good of the world, for our safety, and for freedom we will liberate those who stand in our way.”
    With this mindset, we won’t stop. We will vanquish our enemies, smash our alliances, and destroy anyone who stands in our way.
    In this war do you truly believe we’re going to be able to properly implement a nation-building strategy for these liberated nations when our former allies stand agaisnt us? We can barely keep Afghanistan in order, outside of Cabal the country is in total chaos – Now before you spin off the media hype that “we liberated their women, it’s freedom and apple pie in Afghanistan!” I just spent a month over there (I’m a photojournalist) and I’ve never been more scared in my life. There are countless factions and forced fighting for power and influence, the government only has power within the capital because of U.S. special forces (All America is willing to commit to nation building, already making its promises to ensure Afghanistan develops properly irrelevent.) Afghanistan is in TOTAL and utter chaos, worse than it was when the taliban arrived. Sure, women have the rights to be unclothed in public, but they’re too afraid to go out in the streets for fear of being raped, murdered, or worse by the very military alliance, the heroes we supported in this liberation. You expect Iraq to be any different?
    The question is not if there’s enough evidence to go to war – we’ve clearly established that it’s irrelevant when we can hold the past actions, and a “lack” of proving cooperation as enough to go to war. If I knew the Bush administration could handle this situation properly I’d fully support getting rid of Saddam – but you need to see past your black and white view of the world, President Bush and his administration is just as every bit incompetent as President Clinton in regards to walking the walk. He has the talk, he has the moral clarity, but his implementation has been nothing short of a disaster. You cannot blame everything that has happened domestically (the economy, and 9/11) on Clinton – Bush who was the active President burdens every bit as much responsibility.
    I simply don’t believe President Bush or his administration is prepared for the necessary development of a post-war Iraq. I can already see it being given off to our allies (who will be eager to kiss-ass for their resistance when their stake in OIL comes in question) as we charge off to Iran, Saudi Arabi, or the next hostile country. This will not stop with your black-and-white view of the world where critical opinion is considered treason. The more you support an administration, the more critical you should be. A true American who supported Bush and the war would be more critical of him and his administration than some idiot off the street against the war who doesn’t like the notion of fighting. What so many of you have demonstrated if blind faith – both pro-war and anti-war alike, trusting your ‘trust worthey sources’ with out stopping to ever understand the other’s side.
    It’s so frustrating seeing you people argue in black and whites, liberal vs conservative – the world does not work like that. This is NOT an us vs them situation, we’re Americans in this together. Each perspective offers a valid view, a piece of the bigger picture. You’re unquestionably convinced, lots aren’t convinced… perspective and angle – each are no more valid than the other. Till you accept that we’re going to keep running in these same loops that we have for many years. A few years down the road another Power abusing democratics idiot like Clinton will get elected, the conservatives will decree it to be the end of America. A few years after that another shot-gun billy joe moron conservative will get elected and liberals will cry America is doomed. Get it together folks, we’re in this together, not against each other.

17. Interesting post Mr Moss. But then you accuse me of exactly the same thing. You assume I oppose all war because I oppose this one. Maybe we’re both guilty of over-simplification here, me especially as I should know better.
    I’ve read enough history in my time to realise that there is no such thing as black and white, only shades of grey (and Saddam is a very dark shade of grey, but then the USA, UK et al are hardly whiter than white) and those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
    I’m not blind, I know Saddam is evil and – in a perfect world – would not exist. But I reserve the right to question any war, especially when what it entails is blood and guts and innocent blood and nothing very pleasant at all, while the arguments being formulated by politicians to support it ring hollow when we know that revenge and oil and our own vested interests are what are really driving this conflict.

18. NYC
    Sorry to disappoint you, my friend, but the post with the date and time of
    “Posted by fluffy at February 15, 2003 05:07 PM”
    was not posted by me, since I was asleep at the time, because that was at about 2.00am here in Scotland. It was instead posted by a theiving, lamer, scumball who used my Alias and e-mail address to post a fake message displaying his/her own sentiments instead of my own. To say that I am pissed off by this is an understaement of the highest order. I had just spent an entire DAY marching for peace, and some fuckwit undermines and demeans that effort and the sentiment that went with it.
    I would also like to point out that at the protest in Glasgow, there was a very wide variety of age groups. Sure, there were old people, many were Soldiers themselves (the full military uniform and medals gave it away, but there were also a hell of a lot of kids, and the majority of the people I saw were 20-40 years old.
    To the Asshole who stole my Alias
    You have posted a message that I find insulting and sickening, and you have used MY name to do it. You, sir, are lower than scum, because you are too afraid to take responsibility for your own sentiments, and have cheapened me and my beliefs for your own repugnant enjoyment. Be sure that if I ever find out who you are, that you will be dealt with. Libel and defamation are the resort of the weak. If you have a problem with me, I suggest you come forward from under your rock and face me with it. Until then…
    fuck you and die.

19. Hang in there, Wil ^_^
    You’re not alone in how you feel about the situation with Iraq, we both often talk about ourselves. My only wish is that I could have joined one of the marches yesterday, I don’t think a war’s good for anyone, regardless of what Bush says.
    The RFA story was a sore reminder to me of how ungrateful people can be at times, we’ve been in the same boat ourselves and it’s not funny when it happens. In the end though it makes us grateful for the few real friends we have, in the real world and on places like WWDN, and we count you and Anne as two of them ^_^
    Thank you for the Soapbox, probably the sanest place I’ve been on the internet and certainly the most welcoming. Hang in there, good luck with the book and don’t let the bastards grind you down.
    } {
    ^_~ & O_O

20. Wow, fluffy . . . real “peaceful” there. I guess that same spirit of peace is what led to so many of the protesters being arrested for fighting.
    And before you fly off the handle, it wasn’t me that used your name. Just didn’t want you inflicting any “peace” on me.

21. Nice to see you back. 😉 Great post.

22. Hey, Paco

23. Hey, I don’t want to sound all weird or anything, i guess i will….those notes to not post with emotional should be followed by all especially me….
    I am sat here, tears streaming down my face…i hate that you feel so upset, angry..down trodden even! its upsetting to me becuase as crazy as it sounds i love you! i’m not the most intelligent person especially when it comes to politics but i know all this is wrong, there has to be another solution!!! There was a supposed bomb in the town where i worked the other day in the same place the last one was, where two young boys were killed, the whole place was locked down and a controlled explosion done, why are people so insane…what do they gain from it?? Is nobody safe??
    With regard to your book, never doubt yourself! I can only speak for myself but i know i have every faith in you, it’s not for us to decide what is good or bad….just be happy with it for yourself…you know your capabilities, and as long as you are proud of you work that will outshine any critic. I will be buying it with nobs on!!!!
    I had a lot more to say but i can’t see the screen so i’ll leave it there!
    With love and respect, you’re my idol, and my inspiration….you’re a star!
    Andrea xxxxxxx

24. Wil, your RFA article really struck a cord with me, and it made me MAD. I have dealt with people like that a lot, and it drives me crazy that I think of the best come-back line like, ohhhh, 2 hours later. At the time I usually say something eloquent like “Oh yeah?!” while going red in the face.
    I think I have to take a conflict resolution course.
    Speaking of conflict resolution, I’m reminded of when I was a little kid, and I was scared that there was going to be a nuclear war and that we were all going to blow ourselves up (rocking back and forth on the floor with my teddy bear – now, not then).
    Oh man, can’t we all just get along?

25. Maybe if you lived or worked in nyc you would understand the threat of terrorism. I guess being the terrorism expert that you are you can actually judge what is a true terrorist alert and what is not. I guess all that training you did playing make believe on star trek gives you the proper background to tell us when we are in danger and when we are not. Fine, you dont want to believe we are in any danger, and president bush is making this all up to keep us scared thats fine. But, if there is another terrorist attack, and another 3,000 people are killed you will come back here and admit you were very wrong.

26. From columnist David Thomas of the Sunday Telegraph (UK):
    “Maybe we are not so phlegmatic, after all. Maybe we are exhausted by the weight of our own history. Maybe, like our cheese-eating fellow-Europeans, we have become unwilling or unable to meet threats head-on, and defeat them. And that is where the advantage swings to America. You could say they panic – although it is only fair to point out that mockery of the Homeland Security department’s advice was at least as scathing in Middle America as it was in Middle England. But one could also say that Americans come from a culture which still believes in taking action.
    If Americans think they are going to be gassed, they buy gas-masks. If they think they might go thirsty, they buy water. And if they think their country has deadly enemies, they expect their President – whoever he is – to find the person and blow that sucker away.
    British phlegm is the response of a nation that has lost the capacity to mould events, and decides, instead, to endure them. Americans may not have so much phlegm. But they do have stealth bombers, aircraft carriers, and the 101st Airborne Division. And who needs phlegm when you’ve got all that on your side?”

27. Hey fluffy, were you the one carrying the “Peace In Our Time” sign celebrating the legacy of Neville Chamberlain. Were you cheering your brothers and sisters who called the NYC police Nazis and Fascists, who attacked officers and beat then in the street. Thank whoever used your name, if only for a short time you were thought of as a moral, rational man(or woman, or gender challenged, or whatever the hell you are).

28. Alan,
    No. I was in the march in GLASGOW, SCOTLAND with over 60,000 (the Herald newspaper estimates between 60,000 and 80,000) peaceful protesters. There were no recorded arrests in that march, and in the LONDON, ENGLAND march, there were over one million people and only 3 recorded arrests.
    I have no idea what the marches in US were like, but there was no violence at the one I was at.
    Its a shame that there was violence in the NY march, but thats not my fault.

29. Hey Really Fluffy Guy —
    I think Alan’s point (and the ones made in the Rod Dreher post) are still perfectly valid. The fact is that you guys are out marching with nutcase extremists who have no compunction whatsoever about using “fascist,” “Nazi,” etc. as cheap insults and insist that this is all about oil or Bush’s dad rather than deal with the real issues. ANSWER and other such groups have explicitly defended every single dictatorship on the planet including China, North Korea, and Iraq. How you can march with such psychos is beyond me. Reports are now coming out that the leaders of these groups are “thrilled” with the response they’ve gotten — not because they are truly anti-war, but because they see dissension in Western democracies as good for their Stalinist and anarchist aims.
    If you people are REALLY serious about peace, let’s see you jetison the loser Commies that are currently leading you. Then maybe some of us will take your arguments seriously.

30. Hey,
    Fluffy, I too am offended that someone would use your screen name. I had made real progress with you and now someone f-ed it up.
    That said, I’m really offended at you and those like you defending a mass murdering sociopath like Saddam. Why the hell do you cats love that guy? It’s disgusting. Saddam like watching people being dissolved in acid while still alive. He burns people alive, he tortures them in many ways, and still their is ‘peace marches’. Who the hell wants this guy in power, it is sick. It is like you guys think Bush is worse than Saddam, that is demented. Is it all just political differences? Is it just anti-Bush hatred? It is unbelieveable that Saddam is the most respected guy in the world to you types.
    OUTRAGEOUS.

31. Well, I was going to post some encouragement to Wil, as is that not the point of this thread, but hey, first things first:
    NYC, hello, remember me from a few months ago? Well since you decided to crawl out of wood work I thought I would say hello and wish you well. Yep, that’s right no rants, no heated views on the impending war. Just to state that I am against it just like Fluffy but this is not the time or the place. (beside just had an excellent weekend on retreat so wanting to keep that feeling of the mountain top for a few more hours).
    Fluffy, I cannot believe someone would have to stop that low as to steal your nick it is very low and dirty indeed. I am glad to hear that you had a good time on the march I hope you gave a shout or two for me.
    Anyway, Wil, I cannot say much to encourage you as what may encourage me may not do it for you (that doesn’t sound right… too tired) I just wanted you to know that this blog was the reason I started my own little one.
    Keep up the good work and keep your head high, remember that if you aim at the moon and miss you will still land amongst the stars.
    Catch ya all on the flip side (if we last that long…) >

32. Lurch!
    My man! How you doing? Was your retreat a good experience?
    The march was amazing. The numbers of people, the dignity of the protest was really moving. I also notice that Blair moved his speech forward by several hours so that he wasn’t trying to talk his propaganda over the sound of the protest outside. And this is the guy who said he would never change his timetable because of protesters!
    See you Tuesday! My first post of my BLOG will be up tomorrow, hopefully…

33. Wrong, Lurch. This IS the time and place because Wil brought it up. Besides, SOMEONE needs to counter this B.S. with some common sense, something which seems to be severely lacking in the anti-war movement right now.
    Let me make myself perfectly clear — if someone opposes the war, that’s just fine with me. I don’t care, and I don’t claim that that belief makes you anti-American, anti-Western, or whatever. What I can’t stand is seeing people oppose the war for dubious reasons (e.g., just because they hate Bush) or delusional reasons (e.g., they think it’s about oil). I also hate seeing them talk about peace, while attending rallies sponsored by Stalinists, and welcoming all kinds of radical factions which are for all kinds of revolutions, but certainly not for peace. It also pisses me off that you guys talk about avoiding war, but you don’t offer a viable alternative. The only thing you ever mention are the inspections, which are only in place because Bush threatened . . . WAR. You all like to claim that you are also against Saddam and that he has to go, etc., but what’s your plan? Nada. Zilch. Zero. You don’t have one. So until you people can actually come up with a reasonable, viable plan to deal with this menace that doesn’t involve having pacifist “inspectors” supposedly doing a task that they are neither equipped nor given the proper latitude to do, I don’t want to hear your bitching. Get off the damn fence and tell us all your grand and glorious plans for dealing with Saddam and getting rid of his WMD and maybe we’ll have something to talk about. “Let’s make love not war” and “Give peace a chance” are fine platitudes, but they are NOT realistic plans of action, and they don’t work in the real world!

34. No sooner did I post my last message than I ran across two editorial pieces in today’s newspapers that make my points exactly, and do it with style.
    The first is the editorial from the Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/02/17/dl1701.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/02/17/ixopinion.html), and it asks the very pertinent question, “What happens if the marchers get their way?” It’s conclusion: everyone will be worse off, except for Saddam and all the Saddam wannabees.
    The second is a column in The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,12809,896660,00.html) by a lefty who says that the main obstacle to peace in freedom in Iraq is the left. Makes some excellent points.
    This should be required reading for any of you who are against the war, especially you, fluffy.

35. hey, i’m soo glad you’re back. i know its taken me a while to read this, but i’m sure glad you didn’t leave for too long!
    I can’t wait for the book to come out, i’m wicked excited! also i showed this post to a friend of mine who is very very anti american after reading a book called “why people hate americans”, and she appreciated it greatly! As do i!
    you go dude!
    as i’ve said, great to hear from you, and we love you!!
    from Rach
    xxx

36. Amen to the left wing rant!

37. >> Where are the other voices in this vast wilderness? Isn’t anyone willing to speak up?
    Hey Wil, you’re speaking up, as well as several million people around the world did past weekend.
    There were so many US-Actors in Berlin last week than never before at a Berlinale and every single one of them spoke up. Dustin Hoffman held an astonishing speech. George Clooney just spoke into every cam around, that we germans should relax: It’s the US-government thats the outsider, not we.
    Duct Tape: We had this in our news and they were making comparisons with the “duck and cover”-propaganda during the a-bomb hysteria in the sixties.
    See ya, head up,
    Jens

38. My own objection to much of the peace marchers is not that the fact that they’re marching … but the fact that they’re claiming to be motivated by concern for Iraqi people.
    But as many people have pointed out, out of the 500,000 Iraqi exiles in the UK and hundreds of thousands in other countries around the world, hardly any attended any of the peace marches. They’re the most supportive of this war. Do Fluffy and Co. believe they have any more concern for Iraqi lives than these people, most of whom still have families in Iraq?
    Fluffy, you claim to believe that Saddam should be forced from power and disarmed. How? How would you do it without the threat of force and if the threat doesn’t work, without the use of force? Without the threat of force, would Hans Blix have gotten his team into Iraq? Give me some way in which Saddam can be removed from power without force, because he’s not stepping down.
    And at least, acknowledge that the price for your “peace” is also paid in blood. Saddam tortures, mutilates, murders and rapes countless Iraqis every year. Hardly any Iraqi you’ll meet has not had a family member who has been subjected to Saddam’s tender mercies … even Saddam himself.
    I submit to you that no matter how many people are killed in Iraq, they would not number anywhere close to the number of people Saddam has killed since he came to power. And it will not number anywhere close to the number of people Saddam and the son(s) who succeeds him WILL kill over the next few years if allowed to remain in power.
    And that’s even dependent on whether or not “8000+ cruise missiles” are actually part of the US plan … something you cannot say with any degree of certainty.
    And as for the guy, Paco, (the “journalist”) who is claiming that Afghanistan was better off under the Taliban (which is an asinine statement on its face), aren’t you being a little bit unrealistic? America is not God. It’s just been over one year since the U.S.A kicked the Taliban’s ass. The fact that Afghanistan doesn’t as yet look like New York means things are actually worse or no better. After well over two decades of civil war and entrenched warlordism, how can you expect that everything would be perfect after just one year?
    Since the war began in Afghanistan, 127 schools, 400 wells, and 26 medical clinics have been built. Roads, bridges and other infrastructure are being built as we speak/type. Over $900 million has been spent by America alone on such projects and even more is on the way. You may quote Chomsky, Zinn and bow down to Fisk all you like, but DO NOT make light of the work being done by our soldiers in Afghanistan. They’re doing work you’re too self-rigteous to even acknowledge let alone do. Hate Bush all you like, but don’t you dare use the people of Afghanistan or Iraq to give you cover.
    By next Sunday, over 700,000 Afghan women would have been given shots against tetanus. That would cut down the number of new-born infant deaths from 11,000 per year down to a few hundreds. The number of women who die in child birth would collapse by at least 80%. Did the Taliban even care enough about the women of Afghanistan to even consider doing this? Did they care enough about their new-borns, boys talk less of girls?
    I don’t think you went to Afghanistan as a journalist, Paco. You went as an ideologue with your mind made up.

39. Jens,
    Let me give you a clue: Hollywood actors are idiots. If they’re on your side about anything, then you’re probably on the wrong side of the issue. Clooney, in particular, is a sick fuck. He recently publicly made fun of an old man suffering from a debilitating and fatal disease, and then later repeated the “joke” and refused to apologize. And you want to be on the same side as this asshole?

40. I had to look up the word “soporific.” I’m going to try to use it in my vocabulary in the future — I’m just too sleepy to attempt it right now.

41. Note to Wil: Don’t post at all.
    In all seriousness, your post truly suck shit. I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just tellin it like it is. Sasquatch.

42. Annette
    If you have such a low opinion of Wil’s posts, why do you even bother coming on this blog to read them, and why do you bother posting comments about them?
    If you dont like the content and you cant post something constructive, don’t bother. Go away, and waste someone elses web space.

43. Fluffy,
    Hell, you’ve wasted enough space — why not let Annette take a little, too?

44. Fluffy,
    I directed a few questions at you because you’re probably the most intelligent of the anti-war brigade here.
    Are you gonna answer them?
    PS: I’m not pro-war, I’m anti-Saddam …

45. On Friday I was working in my office looking over the starting point for the protests in Melbourne, Australia; and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people together. It’s the biggest protest in 30 years, and amazing to even consider having a good few percent of the population in one place at one time. Interesting to see how the press have covered these events when they seem to agree with the cause (as opposed to, say, the usual anti-globalisation protests).
    Yet it doesn’t stop our Prime Minister and our UN representative shooting their mouths off and bolstering Bush’s delusion that the world is right behind him on this. Our PM has even made the seemingly stupid comment that he’s not going to listen to what the people want.
    There’s just been too many lies and mistakes, too much shaky logic and leaping to conclusions, and too little consideration given to alternatives to war. Bush has either wanted a full-scale war all along, or wanted Saddam to believe he did. Nobody supports Saddam, and maybe something needs to be done, but I for one am not convinced that this is justified, or the best (or even a workable) solution.
    Hmmm… he is 65, maybe he should be forced to take retirement. Or someone could surprise him, maybe bring on a heart attack… 🙂

46. “If the gas comes and it seeps into your house and not the old ladys, won’t you feel really dumb?”
    Wow, have a little foresight.
    This warning of taping your windows is the new duck and cover. Its to gather more support for the way
    Gee – i hope we go to war soon we we can take this plastic off of our windows.
    How can this NOT be transparent for people???
    the real terrorist is bush.

47. Chriscwej — lies, mistakes, and shaky logic? Congrats! You’ve just described the anti-war effort to a tee. Although you would also have to add ulterior motives, hyperbolae, and downright sleaziness to the list. Oh sure, all of you SAY you are against Saddam, but how many of you actually bothered to protest against him? I think that tells you everything you need to know about the real goals of the peaceniks.
    Adam — you’re an idiot. You have not only shaved your head and drunk the Kool-Aid, but you evidently still think the mothership is in orbit.

48. Mr. Wheaton,
    Thank you for your words. Saddam graet man. Bush is Hitler. Saddam only want peace, Bush only want war. Islam is Religion of Peace. Death to America! Death to the infidels! Thank you for your support of our cause.

49. Hmmm, may as well go back to using my origional alias…
    Martin Knight
    I’ll try answer your questions as soon as I get time, its just that I’m hideously busy at the moment. I get home from work and have to rush off again almost immediatly (and those gits at work won’t let us spod the net, even at lunchtimes).
    Please be patient, I’ll answer as soon as I can.
    Cheers.

50. Even Hezbollah is taking a harder line against Saddam than Chirac and the peaceniks. This is pitiful:
    “It is now urgently up to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, said Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, to avert a war that would be ‘among the greatest catastrophes in all of Arab history.’ Nasrallah called on Saddam to meet with Iraqi opposition leaders, to step down in favor of a government of reconciliation and to declare immediately to the United Nations whatever weapons of mass destruction he still has. Sheikh Mohamed Kawtharami, one of the founders of Hezbollah and a senior member of its politburo,

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