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Iraqi Situation
Reader comment on item: Is an Iraqi Strongman Emerging?

Submitted by John R. Peacher (United States), May 6, 2004 at 08:59

Dear Mr. Daniel Pipes:

Your insight and honesty are a breath of fresh air amidst the confusing opinions of Fox News, MSNBC, CBS World Watch and the daily opinions from the Pentagon and the White House.

What a fine mess we find ourselves in. Trying to fight a conventional war, with adjustments along the way to prevent suicide attacks, and all the while refusing to admit that for the most part Islamic clerics are the source of the problem. What is the American public to think, and the world to think for that matter, when President Bush, the White House, and other government organizations continue to contest that Islam is a religion of peace? Since when? Until we attack this problem and admit that this is the clash of two cultural beliefs, a direct attack being on our way of life in the West, we will continue to waffle and suffer casualties. We have been very lucky since September 11, 2001. No major attack has occurred on the US mainland. One can identify an enemy without killing the enemy. The main thrust should be to actually present the population of the world with a choice; Islam or democracy. Our efforts to incorporate Islam with a McDonalds, Pizza Hut culture is failing because we have not properly identified the enemy. Radicals do not convert so easily. Can you see Castro eating a big mac and biggy french (freedom) fry?

Of course not. But I can see tens of thousands of Cubans lining up outside McDonalds and Pizza Huts in Havana. Our major corporations should come on board and stop the political, multicultural spin and go at it with the gusto with which they have conquered the American public. Start the Islamic prayers over a loud speaker with advertisements to buy Ford, Chevrolet, or Mazda vehicles. Advertise 401(k) investments for workers at the oil fields, give them $100 up front to invest. Find a way to start our own advertising campaign with our own radio stations, our own television stations, use the sattellite network and distribute free televisions and radios in the major metro areas in the Islamic world. Put the items outside of weapon storage depots; they will disappear in short order. Let the games begin and may the best man win! The advertisers have convinced the American public that they are special, deserve everything in the world, it is our right to have what we want, but we have to "tow the line" to get it. See if it works in Arab capitals. What do we have to lose?

Heck, give major corporations a tax break and an award to the company who spends the most on advertising a national Purple Heart for corporations that can infiltrate the mosque scattered throughout the land.

John R. Peacher
1380 Grapevine Road
Martinsburg WV 25401
304-267-6012

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title By Date
Strongman? Remember the Shah of Iran? [34 words]Drew LIbertyMay 21, 2004 22:09
let Arabs sort themselves out [102 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDMay 17, 2004 14:29
Saddam II [34 words]TanruMay 11, 2004 20:11
Iraqi strongman before 30 June [47 words]AliMay 10, 2004 17:10
The Only Thing The Iraqi's Need Is For The Christians To Get The Hell Out of Their Country [77 words]Mike ZeldisMay 9, 2004 19:41
The real question [80 words]Phil SafranMay 7, 2004 20:56
surrender? [216 words]Javier LoscertalesMay 7, 2004 12:49
Comment on Iraqi Emerging Strongman [153 words]Alex M BerlinMay 6, 2004 17:07
⇒ Iraqi Situation [465 words]John R. PeacherMay 6, 2004 08:59
IRAQI SITUATION [231 words]Haider NaqviApr 9, 2006 03:39
Best way out [76 words]Patrick CaseyMay 5, 2004 18:42
Re: strongman for Iraq [270 words]Ruby MercerMay 5, 2004 17:12
Like the strongman idea, but... [65 words]Adam C. KolasinskiMay 5, 2004 15:07
A Whack Upside The Head [235 words]Tom KruegerMay 5, 2004 12:09
"Democratically-minded strongman" [378 words]Chris AtwoodMay 5, 2004 10:55
History Repeats [19 words]GandeshaMay 5, 2004 10:43
Where's Chalabi and the Iraqi Leadership? [93 words]Michael T. AlexanderMay 5, 2004 10:24
Wishful thinking [277 words]Bill BrentMay 5, 2004 01:52
The Iraqis and the Americans agree on something [43 words]Rob FosheeMay 4, 2004 23:29
If that is the good news, what about... ? [33 words]Hans GuggenheimMay 4, 2004 21:53
Iraq....who will rule? [125 words]Kim SegarMay 4, 2004 20:26
Saleh as Leader in Iraq...and the prisoner scandal [96 words]John LothMay 4, 2004 20:04
Who will be in charge in Iraq? [20 words]JimSMay 4, 2004 20:00
Is an Iraqi Strongman Emerging? [14 words]Menahem DunskyMay 4, 2004 19:08
Iraqis expatriates feel the same way [88 words]Azmath SyedMay 4, 2004 18:59
This is So predictable [126 words]Darwin BarrettMay 4, 2004 18:58
Agree [48 words]Ken HathawayMay 4, 2004 17:56
Have you considered? [120 words]Bernard FreedmanMay 4, 2004 17:53
Gaza Peace Plan [11 words]Dr. S. C. YuterMay 4, 2004 17:04
A strongman will very likely end up as a new Saddam [305 words]Vijay DandapaniMay 4, 2004 17:03
Why would the Shia go along? [27 words]Lloyd GreenMay 4, 2004 16:29

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.

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