Amerika

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"Ha! Germany are a little loathe to rekindle that flame."

 

I still like my chances better there.

[Dark Moth]

And by the way, I for one have no problem with Saddam's face being wrapped in an American flag.    I support that soldier all the way.

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Only what he did was to make it appear like Iraq was now part of the USA, not a good way to win over the average Iraqi.

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See? There you go ascribing motives. You don't know that. Perhaps if they were tearing down Iraqi flags and replacing them with U.S. ones maybe, but I highly doubt that was the case. If anything, I think that soldier was making a fair mockery of Saddam, reminding everyone, especially his followers, who brought him down. And with his Anti-American stance, I find it poetic justice how a statue of himself ends up being covered in the American flag. He got what he deserved. Besides, Saddam Hussein was NOT what I would call a symbol of Iraq. His own people didn't even like him.

[FFSOMGLOLOLOL]

You fail reading comprehension.

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Psst, pally. Over here.

 

 

ELDAR EDTI: language, language, my alt account friend. :cool:

 

And by the way, I for one have no problem with Saddam's face being wrapped in an American flag.    I support that soldier all the way.

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Only what he did was to make it appear like Iraq was now part of the USA, not a good way to win over the average Iraqi.

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Nah. It was more like an innocent "pwned" to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that.

[metadigital]

"Ha! Germany are a little loathe to rekindle that flame."

 

I still like my chances better there.

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They might win the battle more convincingly (doubtful, but possible), but they certainly wouldn't leave afterwards.

 

I remember a US general recently was quoted when some French partisan medium said something along the lines of "all Americans should get out of France"; he simply asked if that included the millions that died in between 1918 and 1945, saving France.

[Lucius]

Well, you might be right, I'm not saying that this was what he intended, but clearly his superiors thought something along the same lines, since it was quickly taken down again, no? =)

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"Psst, pally. Over here."

 

I see you admit defeat. Good.

 

 

Never

 

 

"Nah. It was more like an innocent 'pwned' to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that."

 

I'm sure that's how your average iraqi would see it.

 

"They might win the battle more convincingly (doubtful, but possible), but they certainly wouldn't leave afterwards."

 

They left last time.

[Dark Moth]

Nah. It was more like an innocent "pwned" to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that.

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Exactly. With Lucius, we see another example of how people sometimes tend to assume the worst with Americans (especially our soldiers).

[Lucius]

Oh get over yourself, I was talking about how the average Iraqi (PROBABLY) percieved it, which my Finnish friends obviously was able to see, however you unsurprisingly weren't.

[Dark Moth]

"Nah. It was more like an innocent 'pwned' to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that."

 

I'm sure that's how your average iraqi would see it.

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Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn't. But understand, the Iraqis hated Saddam. In case you didn't see, the Iraqis themselves were defacing Saddam's statues, and one memorable scene was a child slapping the Statue's mouth with a shoe (considered a big insult over there).

[User Name]

I'm sure that's how your average iraqi would see it.

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Huh? Now you can read minds too? Impressive.

 

But be mindful that sniffing glue doesn't give you the same powers as using melange spice.

 

Also: stop spamming my thread.

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"I'm sure they would. The Iraqis hated Saddam. In case you didn't see, the Iraqis themselves were defacing Saddam's statues, and one memorable scene was a child slapping the Statue's mouth with a shoe (considered a big insult over there)."

 

Oh, I'm sure they did. I'm questioning whether or not they'd approve the flag of the USA.

 

"But be mindful that sniffing glue doesn't give you the same powers as using melange spice."

 

I don't use fictional drugs to boost my already formidable mental capabilities.

 

"Also: stop spamming my thread."

 

Oh, but I haven't even started yet!

[Musopticon?]

This thread will be glorious!

 

Edit: Seriously, I'm almost giggling here. :">

[metadigital]

Nah. It was more like an innocent "pwned" to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that.

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Exactly. With Lucius, we see another example of how people sometimes tend to assume the worst with Americans (especially our soldiers).

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No. What Lucius was pointing out was that, despite the good intentions of the soldier, and for good or ill, the US and all its members are de facto statesman for their country AND THE FREE WORLD. Every action is political, whether intended to be or not.

 

I am sure Lucius doesn't give a flying kick at a donut about the US flag on the head of a statue of Saddam. (I don't know, and I am not speaking for Lucius, of course, my point is that it is beside the point.) Lucius's point is that to the Iraqi people, it looked like the US was claiming Iraq. (These are war-weary and human-rights-deprived people of meagre means, remember. And a lot of ill-eductated peasants.)

 

Again, don't do the usual US thing of sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling "It was a good thing! The soldier was just helping the Iraqis to understand that Saddam was gone from power!"; listen to what other intelligent, dispassionate observers are saying; their critique is not a criticism.

 

Thin-skinned doesn't go well with Hyper-Power. :ph34r:

 

Edit:

beaten to the punch by Lucius himself.

Edited August 30, 2005 by metadigital

[213374U]

Oh my god... not again.

[metadigital]

Oh my god... not again. 

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Sounds like a quote from the White House press secretary ...

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"listen to what other intelligent, dispationate observers are saying; their critique is not a criticism."

 

I looked up that word. Do you understand how disappointed I was when I found out you made it up? It hurt!

[Dark Moth]

Again, don't do the usual US thing of sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling "It was a good thing! The soldier was just helping the Iraqis to understand that Saddam was gone from power!"; listen to what other intelligent, dispationate  observers  are saying; their critique is not a criticism.

 

Thin-skinned doesn't go well with Hyper-Power. :ph34r:

 

Edit:

beaten to the punch by Lucius himself.

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Ah, the glory of stereotypes. Apparently, it's okay for the rest of the world to do that, but not us.

 

Well, maybe Lucius was right about them interpreting it the wrong way. Do we know for sure what the Iraqis thought? NO. And what it really was (and what any intelligent person would know) was a jab at Saddam Hussein, an insult thrown in his face. Perhaps not the best decision of the soldier, but I think Saddam only got what he deserved. And the way Lucius said it, it sounded like he thought the soldier was intending to make it look like Iraq was U.S. territory now.

[Cantousent]

wow. If we can keep the flames down, it will be quite alright. My hand is on my thread choppin' axe, though. This is the Obsidian board, not the street. Any hint of real ugliness and I'll tell you to take it outside.

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"Ah, the glory of stereotypes. Apparently, it's okay for the rest of the world to do that, but not us."

 

Reminds me of what my brother used to say about me: "I won't punch him since he is smaller than me." Actually, I don't think that's what he said, since I doubt he knew enough of English to formulate such a complex sentence back then.

[Reveilled]

It is worth pointing out that the statue was also draped in the pre-1991 flag of Iraq as well as the American flag. If one were to take the draping of the statue with the stars and stripes as the US claiming Iraq, should one then take the subsequent draping of it in the Iraqi flag as the US giving sovereignty back to Iraq?

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

"If one were to take the draping of the statue with the stars and stripes as the US claiming Iraq, should one then take the subsequent draping of it in the Iraqi flag as the US giving sovereignty back to Iraq?"

 

No.

[SteveThaiBinh]

It is worth pointing out that the statue was also draped in the pre-1991 flag of Iraq as well as the American flag.  If one were to take the draping of the statue with the stars and stripes as the US claiming Iraq, should one then take the subsequent draping of it in the Iraqi flag as the US giving sovereignty back to Iraq?

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If a foreign country invaded my own and raised its flag over my territory, I would take that as a sign of conquest. The fact that my country's flag is flying next to it is neither here nor there.

 

As to people waving flags in their own country (I'm sure I've said this before on these forums) in the UK and some other European countries it's a bizarre and eccentric thing to wave your flag around. Anyone who does so is likely to be seen as a crank or an extremist. In the US it is not bizarre or eccentric, it is normal. You can't apply the standards of your own culture to another, at least not over a tradition or custom like this.

[213374U]

"If one were to take the draping of the statue with the stars and stripes as the US claiming Iraq, should one then take the subsequent draping of it in the Iraqi flag as the US giving sovereignty back to Iraq?"

 

No.

Your logic fails to deliver.

[metadigital]

Ah, the glory of stereotypes.  Apparently, it's okay for the rest of the world to do that, but not us. 

...

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I was responding to your post, wherein you acted the stereotype:

Nah. It was more like an innocent "pwned" to Saddam, not Iraq as a whole. Don't read too much in that.

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Exactly. With Lucius, we see another example of how people sometimes tend to assume the worst with Americans (especially our soldiers).

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which I noticed you conveniently edited out of your response to my comment: good work for your credibility. (Another stereotype?)

 

[Dark Moth]

Well, the fact it was draped on a statue of Saddam is different than if they displayed the U.S. flag on a pole next to the Iraqi flag. This was an isolated incident for the sole purpose of insulting Saddam and making his defeat clear.

 

@Metadigital: I wasn't "acting the stereotype". It was a misunderstanding of Lucius's post, and I acted accordingly. As for my comment about Lucius, since I was wrong about it, I take it back.