Psychoblues
Senior Member
I've been reading here for months and always questioned the term "insurgent" as applied to American opposition in Iraq. Consider that many here tend to believe that "insurgent" means some uninvited or otherwise outside force manipulating internal politics. Actually what it does mean is "rising in revolt against established authority". Herein I have a problem.
Typically, all reference to "insurgents" in the context of Iraq are included with remarks bearing reference to al Queda or other religious fundamentalist Islamists. Surely you're not impying that Islamists in general are "insurgents" anymore than our occupiers of Iraq are religious fundamentalist Christians, or are you? I don't ever recall any reference to the Shiites, Sunnis, Baathists or even the Kurds as "insurgents" before the war we now have in Iraq and there are thousands of references of pre-war vintage. How did the term "insurgent" finally enter into the equation?
I once posted an article that would entertain the reference of myself as an "insurgent" should I defend myself and my country should an outside force invade us, the USA, due to some international difference with GWB. I was immediately assured that "No, you would be a patriot." So now I find myself confused.
Considering that Iraq is now a sovereign nation ruled by a council that hasn't been democratically elected and the US has never demonstrated established authority there, what do we now call the opposition? Patriots, insurgents, malcontents, whatever. We simply must have a media friendly name for them. Don't you think?
Psychoblues
Typically, all reference to "insurgents" in the context of Iraq are included with remarks bearing reference to al Queda or other religious fundamentalist Islamists. Surely you're not impying that Islamists in general are "insurgents" anymore than our occupiers of Iraq are religious fundamentalist Christians, or are you? I don't ever recall any reference to the Shiites, Sunnis, Baathists or even the Kurds as "insurgents" before the war we now have in Iraq and there are thousands of references of pre-war vintage. How did the term "insurgent" finally enter into the equation?
I once posted an article that would entertain the reference of myself as an "insurgent" should I defend myself and my country should an outside force invade us, the USA, due to some international difference with GWB. I was immediately assured that "No, you would be a patriot." So now I find myself confused.
Considering that Iraq is now a sovereign nation ruled by a council that hasn't been democratically elected and the US has never demonstrated established authority there, what do we now call the opposition? Patriots, insurgents, malcontents, whatever. We simply must have a media friendly name for them. Don't you think?
Psychoblues