Chanting "Death to America" and burning effigies of President Bush and Saddam Hussein, tens of thousands of Iraqis flooded central Baghdad yesterday in what police called the largest anti-American protest since the fall of Baghdad, the capital, exactly two years ago.
(Firdaus Square pix spotted at the Iraq Occupation Watch Information Center.)
Obligatory neo-con response:
Yeah, but under Saddam they weren't free to gather in the square and shout "Death to America."
Posted by: t0m on April 14, 2005 01:53 PMActually under Saddam they were paid to shout "Death to America" just like they were paid to show up in 2003 to shout "Death to Saddam" with our taxpayers money. Shouting is a good job in Iraq.
Posted by: H B Lloyd on April 14, 2005 02:25 PMUm.. yea. That is what liberation looks like. Freedom of speech. Freedom to critisise. 2003 was where they were on those freedoms. 2005 is where they are now. Nice change. Looks like the protests in London and New York and every other country that takes freedom of speech for granted. Looks kind of like the turnout for the elections, actually. All those guys did vote, you know. And you know what else? Check the news. The Iraqi government and the US are talking about withdrawls. Know what Saddam's reaction would have been? They do.
Posted by: Seth on April 14, 2005 03:05 PMTom - among those shouting "death to america!" were others shouting (and waving banners saying) "death to saddam!"
ahhh, pluralism.
Posted by: Knemon on April 14, 2005 03:24 PMhey seth, when i was protesting the war in new york in '03 and being trampled by cops on horseback, i surely wasn't "taking my freedom of speech for granted." i was watching it being taken away from me. lovely that they have that right in baghdad now. too bad we don't in new york. just a point of clarification, that's all. i'm not unpatriotic for pointing out the irony am i?
Posted by: R. on April 14, 2005 03:28 PMYou know what I havent had in a while? Big League Chew.
Posted by: Peter on April 14, 2005 03:31 PMas long as they all still want to kill someone I think we did a mighty fine job. better us dead than someone else!
Posted by: Arno on April 14, 2005 03:50 PMSo Seth, when crowds gather in Tehran and chant "Death to America", it also follows that they have freedom of speech? Or you just can't reason logically?
Posted by: Not Seth on April 14, 2005 03:52 PMHey, Seth -- maybe these Iraqi folks have figured out that the US occupiers are doing an even better job at torturing and killing civilians than Saddam did. Might have something to do with why they exercised their freedom of speech and why the Iraq has become the biggest terror training ground in the world. Too bad we've got an incompetent administration, or this might have turned out better, right? Or are you just a blowhard?
Posted by: Erik on April 14, 2005 04:19 PMThem paple in Bagdad cain't even speak English, and they don't believe in [the True CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANT VERSION OF] Jesus, neither.
Satan is speakin' through them.
I wouldn't let 'em be a Rev Dr Billy Bob Prayer Partner even at the Bronze Level ($5000; payment plans available), if they wuz to beg me.
-- The Ol' Rev
Make mine that new Citrus Trident. It rocks. I swear.
Posted by: Jim Bob on April 14, 2005 05:22 PMWondering what the wingnuts in this thread have to say about American MSM TV coverage of this event as opposed to coverage of the event 2 years ago.
Who gives a fuck about their opinions about the motivations of all those people whose culture and desires they know shit about. I'm wondering about their opinions of things they at least theoretically should know something about, i.e. their own country.
Posted by: S Ty on April 14, 2005 11:04 PMAS IF MSM or blogoriphic coverage of Baghdad matters! It's all stagecraft and media manipulation... signifying nothing. One picture of a purple-stained finger follows photos of 20-something kids without hands and we're supposed to weigh the merits of getting involved (or not) in the shit-hole mess called Iraq? 5 years from now, when US troops abandon their $200 billion investment in military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan due to unrelenting "insurgent" attacks, we'll all look back on those purple fingers and think "Yeah, it coulda been"; but that 30-something ex-GI will be saying "What the Fu&K?!" while the rest of America ponders the question of who will be the next Idol.
It sucks to be us, but it will suck worse for our kids.
Posted by: Arabiflora on April 15, 2005 12:26 AMLooks like our work is done-we rid the world of evil Saddam and brought feedom to Iraq. We can pack up and go now, right? Oh yeah, we still have to sprad democracy. Let's see now, what country next to Iraq is still a dictatorship/no vote...Why, it's Saudi Arabia! Hell, sign me up.
Posted by: Cynic on April 15, 2005 07:45 AMWhat country next? Why, Iran, of course.
Seymour Hersh predicted an invasion by this summer; current carrier and battleship deployments in the Persian Gulf arena strongly suggest the same . . . you think we're phucked now?
We got three more years of this madness, folks. You ain't seen nuthin' yet . . . the revolution will not be televised.
LOL oil prices are at record highs! iraq is therefore a failure. this shit has nothing to do with liberation or whatever. that's a justification made up for domestic politics. the real motivation is money, oil, & debt. no one in power cares about the iraqis. the only reason they're trying to install a stable govt. is so the U.S. reputation and dollar don't crash. WAKE UP SETH THE NEO_CONS DO NOT CARE ABOUT LIFE OR LIBERTY. they only want property.
Posted by: pornstorm on April 15, 2005 11:33 PM