A letter to a listener

One of KTAR listeners called me " a sore point with this radio show". Here is my respons to him. His letter is inclouded at the end.


Dear Philip
Thanks for the message. I hope that this will give you an idea about the way I look at situation in Iraq. You will see that it is based on facts and figures. I will be happy to answer any question you have.
Regards
Ghazwan


The best way to judge whether an ACTION is good (beneficial) or bad is to look at the BEFORE and AFTER effects. This applies to any action irrespective. I have realized few years ago that I must work to find out where Iraq was before 2003.


Data for conditions of 2002-2003 were not available and not universally acceptable. It was either data from the Iraqi government (hence the west considered it (Saddam propaganda) or from the west (and it was western propaganda). The best “independent and unbiased” data were available from UN reports prior to the war of 1991.


For this reason I collected data of where Iraq was in 1991 as my bases of reference. This is also connected to my belief that the war of 1991 was phase 1 of the war between USA and Iraq. The 13 years of sanctions were phase 2 of the war and the 2003 war is phase 3. Therefore the 1991 data also used to compare the effects of the war (in its 3 phases) to the current situation. I sometimes use US pre occupation data and compare it to current US data to show progress or the lack of it.


Having established my BEFORE reference point I could easily use that data and compare it to the AFTER and judge quantitatively.


In 2004 I was to present this paper in New York which deals in details with BEFORE and AFTER conditions. I have not found any reason to change the validity of the BEFORE condition. Today I can assure you that on EVERY single point raised conditions are a lot WORSE than it was in 1991!!!!


How do we describe this? 1- Saddam was doing a very good thing then!!!! Or 2- US is doing a bad job now. Take your pick.


Few years ago Bush said “you are either with us or with the terrorist”. I said sorry Mr. Bush I am not with you because I think what you are doing is wrong. I refused to be terrorized into changing my ideas of what is right or wrong. He can call me whatever he wants but I am not with him.


I base my assessment of Iraq situation on solid facts and figures. Those who disagree with me must show me where I am wrong. Just calling me “Anti-American” does not scare me. By the way “dictators” like Saddam could not scare me I called him atrocious dictator from Baghdad 2002!!!


Maybe I am not seeing the “good” things that the US is doing in Iraq. Maybe I am closing my eyes. Please let me know and I will be grateful. I will even admit my mistakes on Radio but please be specific.


From: Philip ,,,,,
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 11:56 PM
To: vtafrombaghdad@hotmail.com
Ghazwan,
I have noticed that you are starting to become a sore point with this radio show. I think it is the negativity that you portray on a week to week basis. People are beginning to take your rhetoric as anti-american which is obviously not popular here to listen to. You are starting to sound like the US has done absolutely nothing positive. I know there are many bad things going on, but there have to be something good in your country. Healthcare? Schools? I dunno.Why don’t you tell me. Is there anything positive going on in your country? It doesn’t even have to be something positive the US has done. Maybe your government has done something positive in your neighborhood. Maybe you have done something. Most Americans do not favor the war, don’t favor the occupation, and are not really pleased with the way things are going on in our part. We don’t listen to you on the radio to remind us of what we already know and feel. Your job should be to share with us the things we don’t know. The things that we can’t read about or hear about on TV. Personally, I can’t stand Tony and you are really the only interesting part of his show. Unfortunately, as of recent, I have grown a little tired of hearing you complaining over and over about the same stuff. Mix it up. Become interesting again and you will make us interested again. If you respond, I will happily write you back.
A fan,
Philip A.
Phoenix, AZ USA