2007-05-08
Blasts from the Past
As anyone with a brain knows, which admittedly isn't very many people, the pro-liberation Iraqi blogs provided the free marketplace of ideas where we could find out what the hell was going on in Iraq. The Anglophones descended on them and started the process of scientific enquiry, while the rest of the world yodelled. While the contents of the blogs themselves was invaluable, the real meat was in the comments sections, as the protagonists fought it out, and the pro-freedom people helped each other to fill in the gaps in each other's knowledge, as well as finding out what it was we all had in common, and indeed, what the very definition of "freedom" was. I can't remember who came up with the first plausible definition, but I do remember what the definition was - "ability to change/influence the rules". Some Iraqis had interpreted it as "ability to break the rules" and chaos was ensuing in Iraq. Much later I finally cracked the real definition - "not subjugated".
Anyway, one blog in particular, Road of a Nation, gave us access to the first anti-liberation Iraqi who was willing to actually discuss her point of view with us. It was also the first blog to actually ask questions of the liberators. And it was all truly fascinating. Then the blog disappeared! For 2 years I tried to occasionally contact Sarmad to find out what was happening. And finally, just a few weeks ago, I got a response. Someone had set up a ".com" for his blog, which had expired. And he'd forgotten the password. I went through everything with him and we got everything back. But the invaluable comments were missing. There was a problem with haloscan. But that has now been restored. So now, in its full glory, is Road of a Nation. Unfortunately Sarmad is in circumstances where it is probably not a good idea for him to post at the moment, but I'm not going to elaborate. I'm going to be going back through the comments trying to highlight some of the crucial information that aided me in understanding what the hell the Iraqis, and for that matter, Australians, were thinking.
And here is another case of a disappearing blog and blogger returning from the grave. Ali Fidhal was originally on ITM, then moved to "A Free Iraqi" and then moved to "Liberal Iraqi". And he has the most poignant summary of his position of all the Iraqi bloggers - "I was not living before the 9th of April and now I am, so let me speak!". Ali is the Iraqi blogger who most matched my personal position. In actual fact, I didn't know of any difference at all between him and me. This was the friend who shared my values that I have long sought. Unfortunately he's stopped posting, but I've established contact with him privately and this will enable me to find out exactly where our worldviews differ, if anywhere. This is also guy who told me about the Mu'tazilah. Which was actually the last bit of the jigsaw puzzle - who would find this?
These activities, plus others, are keeping me occupied at the moment, and it is getting rather tiresome arguing the toss with the left-wing in the comments here about how to use a dictionary (believe it or not). It would be nice if we could have someone from the right-wing to counter these lame arguments themselves to free me from this task. Until then, they may just go unanswered for now, as I've finally got access to rational, moral people to discuss ideas with, and they must take priority.
We've got 1.5 years of Bush left, and millions of people to liberate. And millions of people in the free world to protect as well. And insufficient feedback (specifically - how many days will the liberation of Iran take) to find out if 1.5 years is enough time to do what needs to be done, ie a global blitzkrieg. The world is a fascinating place. Could a more heart-stopping computer simulation have been created? I'd like to see someone try. 1.5 years to crack the evolutionary psychology before the military option is snatched away by the Democrats. Where are Charles, thinker and ableiter when you need them?
BTW, I will make a series of posts referring to specific stuff in Sarmad's blogs/comments, as I find them and find time.
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Anyway, one blog in particular, Road of a Nation, gave us access to the first anti-liberation Iraqi who was willing to actually discuss her point of view with us. It was also the first blog to actually ask questions of the liberators. And it was all truly fascinating. Then the blog disappeared! For 2 years I tried to occasionally contact Sarmad to find out what was happening. And finally, just a few weeks ago, I got a response. Someone had set up a ".com" for his blog, which had expired. And he'd forgotten the password. I went through everything with him and we got everything back. But the invaluable comments were missing. There was a problem with haloscan. But that has now been restored. So now, in its full glory, is Road of a Nation. Unfortunately Sarmad is in circumstances where it is probably not a good idea for him to post at the moment, but I'm not going to elaborate. I'm going to be going back through the comments trying to highlight some of the crucial information that aided me in understanding what the hell the Iraqis, and for that matter, Australians, were thinking.
And here is another case of a disappearing blog and blogger returning from the grave. Ali Fidhal was originally on ITM, then moved to "A Free Iraqi" and then moved to "Liberal Iraqi". And he has the most poignant summary of his position of all the Iraqi bloggers - "I was not living before the 9th of April and now I am, so let me speak!". Ali is the Iraqi blogger who most matched my personal position. In actual fact, I didn't know of any difference at all between him and me. This was the friend who shared my values that I have long sought. Unfortunately he's stopped posting, but I've established contact with him privately and this will enable me to find out exactly where our worldviews differ, if anywhere. This is also guy who told me about the Mu'tazilah. Which was actually the last bit of the jigsaw puzzle - who would find this?
These activities, plus others, are keeping me occupied at the moment, and it is getting rather tiresome arguing the toss with the left-wing in the comments here about how to use a dictionary (believe it or not). It would be nice if we could have someone from the right-wing to counter these lame arguments themselves to free me from this task. Until then, they may just go unanswered for now, as I've finally got access to rational, moral people to discuss ideas with, and they must take priority.
We've got 1.5 years of Bush left, and millions of people to liberate. And millions of people in the free world to protect as well. And insufficient feedback (specifically - how many days will the liberation of Iran take) to find out if 1.5 years is enough time to do what needs to be done, ie a global blitzkrieg. The world is a fascinating place. Could a more heart-stopping computer simulation have been created? I'd like to see someone try. 1.5 years to crack the evolutionary psychology before the military option is snatched away by the Democrats. Where are Charles, thinker and ableiter when you need them?
BTW, I will make a series of posts referring to specific stuff in Sarmad's blogs/comments, as I find them and find time.
# posted by Paul Edwards @ 22:25 
