Christopher Hitchens versus Ritter - Iraq War debate part 1

Christopher Hitchens and Scott Ritter duke it out over the Iraq war. ca 2006.

Ritter proves himself to be Hitchens' most formidable opponent in the Iraq war debates. He was intimately involved in the Gulf war, and in the events leading up to the Iraq war. He gives a very detailed account of the contradictions and hypocrisies of US policy toward Iraq. Hitchens largely agrees, but draws a different conclusion.

Part 1

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Christopher Hitchens
• Scott Ritter
• Iraq
• Iraq war
• terrorism
• WMD
• George Bush
• Dick Cheney
• Saddam Hussein
• UN
• weapons inspectors
• Kurdistan
• Kuwait
• Kanan Makiya
• Gulf War

[nocturnezero]

@OffTheGlass87 Republics are democratic.

[OffTheGlass87]

@nocturnezero

No, the United States is not a democracy of popular vote. It's a representative democracy. The USA is a republic. And to the republic, for which it stands Not, for the democracy. Two different things. The USA is a federal-constitutional-republi­c. That means states rights and an overall constitution for the country. The constitution didn't detail the 1000's a possibilities for this and that law. If it's not in the constitution, it's up to the states people to decide.

[KrGsMrNKusinagi0]

Ritter stated Iraq maintained 10 percent of its WMD capacity

[abuliberalee]

Incoherent babble. This isn't even going to be a contest.

[attemptingtobehumble]

@johnroiberts He isn't ignorant, he is a shill.

[nocturnezero]

@deluxmatty01 Fewer than 1% of Iraqis believe the US presence is increasing their security, according to the British Ministry of Defense. 82% want them to leave. Are they not the most qualified to speak for their own situation?

[nocturnezero]

@deluxmatty01 Should the Soviet Union have withdrawn from Afghanistan immediately because their invasion was illegal and their occupation brutal? I'm sure the Soviet Union had people just like yourself and Hitchens, saying that we can't withdraw too soon because the mujahideen will take over the country and reign with an iron fist and a power vacuum will form and all that stuff. Maybe some farmers even asked them to stay. Were you warning the Soviet Union not to withdraw too hastily?

[nocturnezero]

@deluxmatty01 So they should have a democracy, except in the field of what many of them consider to be the most important issue, which is the presence of occupatory foreign troops? I just want to make sure I understand democracy right. Democracy doesn't mean doing what a majority want on issues the majority finds important? Democracy doesn't mean popular rule?

[nocturnezero]

@deluxmatty01 They had those under the Communist regime. Did you support the Soviet invasion to keep that regime stable?

[deluxmatty01]

@nocturnezero well first of all I dont even know if those stats are correct. Second of all the well being of AG's is greatly improved by forcing the Taliban out. The Helmand province now has the start of health clinics for women, open markets and the freedom to walk veiled or unveiled without the threat of being murdered. The US and UK do everything they can to limit casulties and provide food and treatment for the villagers. Like I said more people suffer if the cancer is left in place