Rumsfeld: Looting is transition to freedom

[RandySF]

WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) -- U.S. forces should not be blamed for the lawlessness and looting in Baghdad as it is a natural consequence of the transition from a dictatorship to a free country, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Friday at the Pentagon.

"The task we've got ahead of us now is an awkward one ... It's untidy. And freedom's untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They're also free to live their lives and do wonderful things. And that's what's going to happen here," Rumsfeld said.

"And for suddenly the biggest problem in the world to be looting is really notable."

Rumsfeld said he believes time will take care of the problem in Baghdad, as it seems to have in the southern cities of Umm Qasr and Basra, where looting has largely abated and the streets are back under relative control.


http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2003/04/11/Rumsfeld-Looting-is-transition-to-freedom/63821050097983/

[spanone]

1. the war criminal speaks from his lair

fuck you rumsfeld

[RandySF]

2. It's a 2003 article

[spanone]

4. he was a war criminal in 2003

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Note that that was from 2003.

The point of the OP is that the evil of 'looting' is situational to those in power. When they can be seen to have directly created the situations that lead to it, they're willing to make excuses. When it's less obvious to the average TV viewer that they created the situation, they denounce it strongly, hypocritically popping up onto their high horses.

[gollygee]

5. Ha!

Republicans sometimes have convenient opinions about things like looting.

[PowerToThePeople]

6. take that repukes! n/t

[TheNutcracker]

7. Yes, as we crushed Iraq so that could be looted too! Is that where Rummy learned how to loot?

[malaise]

8. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaah hahahahha - good spot

Who should know better than war criminal Rumsfeld

[raouldukelives]

9. Haha. nt

[JustAnotherGen]

10. So interesting in light of the events in Baltimore this week

I wonder what Rummy (a nod to The Boondocks) thinks of that CVS store that was all the rage at DU a few nights ago?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. This sounds like an "unknown known" -nt