h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mmmm I envy you for that. Where I live I don't get much access to English language books so I am one of the types who does a re-read job every now and then. Just read a very good book by Nick Gowing (he is a news reader on BBC World I think). It's about the early days of the Solidarity movement in Poland (where I live). Wow it's right on the button and so much easier to handle when you live in the country. Called 'The Wire' fiction, but with a lot of fact too. As an aspiring writer myself I was delighted to see such a well researched book and exciting too. I have written a novel too bout Iraq. Lived and worked there, saw a lot. I quite like the people in that country they can't be responsible for the actions of the foolish Saddam. But...they do have to suffer the consequences of his actions and that usually equates with death. But Doctor Who is everybodies friend eh!

213395, I like your name! Put it on your space. (I can't distinguish all the number people, as I am verbal not visual and numbers are hard to say.)
I'd love to know more about your novel...
An even better book, is 'The War Games' 1979, by Malcolm Hulke. It features the Second Doctor, Zoe and Jamie fighting War Lords. My son says it's the best thing ever broadcast on television any time, ever, in any language or country. (He probably exaggerates, but I am reading the book.) Excellent!

Asalaam alaikum. Well were to start. The attack on the world trade center was what kicked up Bush so it seems but is it really? Some of you have suggested that he is actually going after Oil and you are right he is. The attack on Osama was not about what he did it was about getting his hands on one of the bigest oil cites in the world, the caspien sea. America's attacks on Afganistan was a stupid one not just because it has created a future generation of terrorists but because it shows how dumb the American army leader guy is. Osama bin laden was put in power by the CIA and was trained by them in the art of concealed warfare and assasination and terrorism. His training would have including stratergy. He also recieved money and weapons from the US army. So why would he hide his troops in a cave and why would he live in a cave? Osama has been trained and he knows what America is capable of so why on earth did he hide in caves where he knew the Americans could distroy him easily. Does not make sense along with the video clips of him. Notice how he is always to clean to be some one living in a cave. If you think about it the only evidence the American's have that Osama did it was that he admitted to it. But was he telling the truth. Yes getting america in a war against him will cost a lot of his men but he does not worry about capture as he knows the lands better than any American. So what would the point be of him Getting America to attack him. Simple he may have lost a few men but in a couple of years he is going to have five or six times as many men as he had origanly, from all those who now hate America because they blew up there village. Did you know that the Americans spent three days non stop bombing a small village that was essentially a farm and a few huts. There was no police force or military or Terrorist in the village so why did they bomb it for three days?
Anyway moving on Bush has wanted to invade Afganistan for a long time because he needs to have control on the oil cartel.
What you have to remember is that America is the only country that is spending no resources or funds in to ways of cutting pollution from cars and factorys. This means that later the UN could put heavty taxes on petrol to America untill they do try to cut pollution. So anyway your probabley thinking how Afgan fits in to this. Its simple really when America first put the Taliban in power they were planning on getting oil from the caspien sea but there is no way of doing it at that time. The oil has to go through at least one of the countries surronding the caspien sea. Lets look at the chances of them givng them rights to the countries that surround the oil field.
Russia. No way in hell is America going to give them access to oil. China thats another no, no. then there's Iran and thats a no as well that leaves Afganistan. They could and want to build a pipe line from the caspien sea through afganistan and on to pakistan or india where it can be shipped from the west.
America has now got its hands of Afganistan.
Osama's unkle owns the rites to 75 percent of the oil in the caspien sea by the way.
Moving on to Iraq, Sadam has a right to be pissed. America put him in power gave him weapons and money and then said he could invade kuwait and then after he had invaded them America changed its mind.
Any way notice the similarity to Osama they were both out in power by America.
The war on Iraq is for oil but is also payback for his farther in some ways. I'm tired I will say more if you like some other time.

Adib

Alaikum Asalaam. I think it goes much deeper than just plain old oil although that does play a part. I think it's about world domination where the oil commodity is just one link in the chain. When you see the scant regard for the Palestinians subjugation by Israel and the appalling loss of life including hundreds of small children it has to be this. I also blame to a large degree too the complete lack of help from the EU on this subject. They have the clout, one whisper to the Israelis that they would bring about economic sanctions and they would soon sit up and listen. But no the EU just sit back and watch, blather about their fine union and make ever more rules. They make no effort to curb the excesses of the current US government or attempt real dialogue and that is a shame. Because the ONLY way this can be resolved is by talk and agreement and not by violence and I mean from both sides.

Yeah I hate what is happineing in isreal and palenstine. Isreal is actually breaking about 47 UN resulutions and America actually sticks uo for them. Mean while Iraq is breaking one or two UN resolutions and america's going to blow them up. Hmmm that seems far. Did you know that America gives more money to Isreal each year than it puts in to its on health wealthh fare. Plus each year they give more money to Israel tham the whole of Africa's aid combined.

Allah hafiz.
Adib

I can see I have a lot of catching up to do on the reading front but I will try your suggestions. Not sure how to replace the number with the name yet but I guess I will find out how. Mmmm er my book on Iraq is fiction of course but carries a lot real stuff and scenarios which was fairly easy to do since I spent three years there. I am revising all the time and like most aspiring authors I have submitted to various literary agents. It's difficult to get in as a new author and many of the best known have suffered the famous rejections. I read once that Steven King wrote around 14 books before he got his first publication. JK Rowling too had her share of rejection. It's horses fo courses as they say and where one can hit the front first time out others have to make do with plodding. I am currently writing my fourth so you see I have the willpower, if not the luck! Been lucky in life to travel muchly and I have a good memory plus a curiosity about life and people. But...it's a lonely old business pecking away at the keyboard. One famous writer once wrote "I only write when I am inspired but I make sure I am inspired at nine am every morning!! I guess that sums it all up really. I imagine there are many more such folk out there right now doing just this. My scribe starts it's life in Baghdad (a romantic city) I say this cos I met my wife there. It runs through Iraq into Kurdistan and then runs on through the Med to London and finally to Durban South Africa where it ends. Published? Well who knows I am even toying with the idea of publishing where I now live rather than try the routes through the UK. I run a business as well which keeps me busy to hit h2g2 is better for me when I burn the midnight oil! But I ramble and thanks for your interest and now duty calls.

Lets face it, the yanks have been spoiling for a war ever since they got chased out of Asia with their tail between their legs. So they pick on an easy target and show off their latest technoligy, which incidently killed eleven of our brave boys, who should not have been there in the first place. Britain can not afford a war, and besides we still have many people who are still alive to tell you what war is like. Thank God we have them, listen to them they have been there! they fought for our right to decide for our selves. So if you are young and spoiling to fight, go and have a word with Grandad first! and let him tell you what to expect.

It also killed more civilians than died in the world trade centre.
We had 2 mins silence for those who died in thw world trade centre what about those innocent people who died in afganistan. I want a two min silence for them.

Adib

Hi Smudge how your name brought back a nice memory for me. I once acted in play when I lived in Malawi called "The long and the short and the tall". I played Smudger (Smith to uninitiated) in the play where a small platoon of Brit soldiers capture a Japanese soldier and the play is about how they want to treat the guy. I don't know if you know this one but I see that you know of (as many more do) the disaster which is about to fall with this nonsensical war plan. The US will only bother about friendly fire casualties like in the case when the unfortunate Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. For the rest including the Brits it'll be, so what tough luck etc. No help for the guys either with Gulf War syndrome (probably caused by the use of depleted Uraniam). When it's all years after people will still be dying. North Korea oooh lets talk eh! Why cos they can fight back and as you say the US doesn't want another Vietnam. But...I am old enough to remember the last Korean war and how the US nearly lost it there and was only saved by UN intervention. Okay lets see what happens. What is needed is a big dose of common sense here don't you think?

I agree too that or maybe some humanity. All I can say really is Bush? common sense? is that possible?

Adib

Hi There, You cant put Bush and common sense in the same sentance? they have that removed when they enter politics. So if he does have these weapons, who sold them to him? and since when did the UN sart being told what to do by America! Why do we allow the Yanks to drag us into it. Once you have gone through holding some one in your arms and watch them die, then go and assist in a child birth, all in the same day. No matter how old you were on that day, your a lot older the day after. Smudger.

You know Smudger you are so right. As I mentioned I was in Iraq (unlike a lot of experts who know the answers). I saw hundreds of coffins over the three years that I was there not to mention the devastation caused by falling Scuds on Baghdad, I was there! I also was a "warden" looking after the Brits in my patch of Baghdad reporting to the Brit Embassy. At the same time all this mayhem was going on there were many visits from leading front bench Brit politicians all running to see Saddam! I got to meet most of em. I was not very impressed I must say. At the same time all this destruction was taking place the UK government was handing out 400 million pounds of British taxpayers money to feed Saddams habit!! I could say much more but you get the drift. I have always asked this question too. If Blair and co KNOW he has the weapons they know who supplied em eh! Rumsfeld (Dr Death) was in there too giving Saddam a helping hand now he wants to flatten him. Perhaps Saddam should blow the gaff and tell all that might just shut Blair Up.

<<. But...I am old enough to remember the last Korean war and how the US nearly lost it there and was only saved by UN intervention. Okay lets see what happens. What is needed is a big dose of common sense here don't you think? <<
Here in NZ, many, if not most men in the media have no direct experience of war, and so they imagine it to be like an American movie, 'Black Hawk Down' or summat. Their fathers may have fought in WWII, but quite possibly didn't, so they all think of it as glorious adventure. Some NZ men *did* go to Korea or Vietnam, all volunteers(!) who now, suffering from Agent Orange-related genetic problems, re-write history and blame the Government for sending them! (Most are libertarians who hate Government anyway. Yet they still want a glorious war, to turn *their* sons into 'men'...
My father came from the UK in 1952. He'd experienced WWII, lost a brother and nearly his parents. He wouldn't favour this. Australians and NZers mostly do, and blame our "Petticoat,pacifist' government for not enthusiastically going along. Thank God for Phil Goff and Helen Clark, and their refusal to obsequiously crawl to Dubya!

Della of course people have short memories or shall we say memories of convenience. When you see as I did in Baghdad and around Iraq countless coffins being transported on the roofs of busses and taxis who were commandeered to delivery it's gruesome cargo. THEN you can see at first hand the stark results of that war which was encouraged and indeed financed by the West for a variety of reasons. These armchair warriors you mentioned have no conception of a real torn limb or a bullet riddled body. As you say it's all a computer game. I know that in the end it will be the Iraqi people who will suffer. Believe me they are not ogres they are ordinary folk like us and they do not deserve to be destroyed either by Saddam's excesses or for that matter Bush's. Every time I see Balir uttering his weasel words on this subject it makes me squirm but..they are hell bent on showing their power. We all know Iraq is a soft target and despite what the the two B's (you can choose the word!) say about WMDs they don't have the guts to tell us it was their own governments that allowed this in the first place! It has just come out that Rumsfeld was in Iraq years back talking to his great friend Saddam and now it's a different story. The saying "Hell hath no fury" applies very well to the USA. The sanctions against, Vietnam and Cuba are witnesses to this. Again we are talking revenge!

'History is written by the winners'. Its true.

Adib

Adib. Just to lighten up a little on this debate I'll tell you a quick story. In 1987 I was asked by company to accompany a delegation of Iraqis to London so they could see our wares. Well they arrived just three of them. One was a minder who was being rewarded for 1700 hours of combat flying in a MIG 23 the other two were our target engineers! So..not knowing what to do with em on the Saturday they arrived I took then to Stamford Bridge to see Chelsea play Newcastle at home. Now we didn't stint in the money and I treated em to lunch at the very nice club resturaunt and then we sat down in the stand beside the directors box to watch the game. We watched for a while and suddenly Newcastle scored! Remember we were in the stand in a sea of blue and white. They only people to rise to their feet to cheer the goal was these three Iraqis and me! Now I have faced a bit of danger in my life but I must say at that moment I did feel shall we say 'vulnerable'!!

Laugh poor you.

Adib

No Wonder you felt vunerable. I mean just how often do Newcastle score,Dont worry only kidding? Its only people who have lived out there and worked with these folk that can appreciate their quality of life? if you can call it that. There are many of them that are against war, only they dont get the chance to express their opinoin, as they tend to diappear if they do. All the same I had to go along with their customs and rules when I worked out there. Such a pity they cant do the same when they come over here. At the end of the day its the oil that the Yanks are worried about, not the politics of the country. They should have finished the job when they had the chance last time, we would not be in the same position now if they had.

Smudger. The problem is that when they get rid of Saddam the people will end up with another form of "imposed" rule that may appear to be benign but the message will still be the same. Do as you are told or else. I regret the people in the area generally because there is no one state in that area that has a free calmly elected government. Even Israel's government which is run by extremists, who just cannot see that the ONLY way to resolve the issues is to talk. But Sharon's record going back two decades speaks for itself! Its evil knows no bounds!

Sharon him self was held responcible for the massacre of 2750 palestinians in the refugee camps of sabra and chatila. The Un qualified it as a act of genocide.

Isreal its self is in defiance of 69 UN resolutions but US security council has preotected Isreal from a further 29 by US vetoes.

It seems like America is a hipercrite as there going to bomb Iraq because it is in difiance of UN resolutions and they must be obayed.
Hmm Isreal is breaking more than Iraq so why is Bush not going to Bomb then. Maybe because Isreal has the second most powerfull lobby in the US?

Any ideas?

Adib