US not right to invade say Iraqis Re: [extropy-chat]letter concerning presidential growth

[Joseph Bloch]

Not being an expert in international law, I am not qualified to render a 
judgement on the question.

Being a student of current events, however, I can say that opinion among 
such experts is divided on the subject, and thus it is entirely possible 
that the invasion of Iraq was entirely within the bounds of 
international law and the United Nations resolutions on the subject.

As for your last question, I would say that in this particular case, the 
ends have justified the means retroactively. It is better that Saddam 
Hussein and his brutal regime are out of power, and a democratic system 
of government seems to be taking root. I would never want to make a 
blanket assertion. Although I might ask you, Brett; do you believe that 
the ends never justify the means?

Joseph

Brett Paatsch wrote:

> Joseph Bloch wrote:
>
>> They would not be able to decide anything, if the United States had 
>> not acted. I find it a good thing that we did act, and Saddam is no 
>> longer in power and able to terrorize his subjects. Was it perfect in 
>> execution and aftermath? No, of course not, and nobody is suggesting 
>> otherwise. Neither was World War II. But it is better than the 
>> alternative.
>
>
> It would help me understand how you prioritise if you could talk me
> through whether you think the invasion on 20 March 2003 was illegal
> or not, and whether that matters to you or not.
> Bush, Blair and Howard, don't dare say that international law does
> not matter to them publicly, they continue to maintain the fiction that
> the war was legal, and they can only do that because the public 
> doesn't care. 
> Once the public stops holding its elected leaders to their oaths of
> office and to the rule of law then democracy is finished. And that
> is what is happening now, in my opinion. 
> What is your opinion on whether the invasion of 20 March 2003
> was legal? Do you think that it is of no consequence if it was not?
> Is it your view that the end justifies the means?
>
> Brett Paatsch
>
>
>
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