What is an insurgent ?

[Racenut20]

Is that an Iraq citizen fighting for his homeland?

A "Proven" foreign national in Iraq in support of defeating the Americans?

Where does he come from and who is he?

[eleny]

1. Definition

1. Rising in revolt against established authority, especially a government.
2. Rebelling against the leadership of a political party.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=insurgent

[WePurrsevere]

22. So basically

Insurgents = Rebels...

Hmm... isn't that one of the things that England considered us back in 1776?

[newyawker99]

27. Hi WePurrsevere!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Just Me]

2. In the present circumstances, anyone fighting against occupation.

Period.

[davelyoung1]

15. Thoughts

An insurgent may be as simple as one questioning the actions of one’s government trying to find the truth inside a free press and finding it blinded by government control that implants fear in its own people.

An insurgent may be one that seen picture of friends being tortured or humiliated by those claiming to be the savior of their country.

To some Republicans, anyone who gets in the way.

[Just Me]

21. Not in a "democracy", my friend *wink wink*

Where "town hall" meetings are screened.

It's all a matter of perspective,...micro versus macro.

Welcome to DU!!! :hi:

[newyawker99]

28. Hi davelyoung1!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[libodem]

3. Iraqi civilians

not much different than our Boston tea party guys or the confederates vs the yanks

[The Straight Story]

4. The iraqi's who fought against saddam

And the ones now fighting against us.

I.E.- Those not in power fighting against those in power. Those who do not control the press which labels them.

Now something to ponder:
Let's say the insurgents win, and get control of Iraq:
1. Will it be a better place
2. Will they then label those who think it is not a better place and fight against them as insurgents.
3. Is an insurgent one who uses force to get change or are those who use boards like this one to effect change also insurgents?

[Just Me]

5. Let us ponder further.

Will our role have made the world a better place?

[The Straight Story]

10. Then we are left with

What does it mean 'better'. Is Iraq better now for the people who live there? Is the world any better at all?

I suppose the answer depends on who you ask.

[Just Me]

14. Let us assume that "better" involves ALL humanity.

Let us also assume that improving the quality of human life necessarily involves respect for and contribution to the environment in which human beings exist.

Now, adopting the foregoing fundamental MORAL assumptions, have the actions of the BushCO/neoCON regime, TO DATE, left this world in a better place?

[The Straight Story]

20. Hard to say

ALL humanity is a big sphere. China controls it's sphere, as do other countries control theirs for the most part.

One could say in America that since violent crimes are down, we are wealthier now then before, and so on that we are better off. But I see such things as less to do with who is in power and more to do with the people and how they act day to day.

All of humanity is not better, some are worse, some are better. There are always wars, poverty, homelessness, disease, etc.

bush could have done more with his role to help more people. In that he has failed. His war in iraq has helped some, hurt some, and killed many.

Again it goes to who you ask. Some would say things are better, some would say things are worse and have been getting worse for many decades. Who is right? Is all of humanity benefitting more now then they were before? While bush is A problem, he is not THE problem. People and their attitudes and beliefs towards others are. We all have power to make the lives of others better. Whether you are a chinese peasant or a big business ceo here in the US or elsewhere.

The problem is indeed one of morals - but not just of one man. It is a problem with those who put him there, and the problem of those who do nothing but complain and hope someone else will fix the problems they see.

Example of this - while bush started the war, it was those individuals who did as they were told that exectuted it. Thousands of them. Several countries also participated. Tons od people who had a choice and decided to do as they were told over what they felt was right. Prison for one's self for disobeying, or drop bombs on someone from far away. Which would you do?

bush only has power because others cave in to his whims. We can and I hope remove him, but it will not solve the real and larger problem. People choose to obey - why?

I am in no way absolving the asshole in chief of his wrong doings. Hell I have posted threads on them myself from indian affairs to general government operations. he is a poor leader. He does not scare me though - the people that follow him and carry out his wishes do though as they are numbered in the millions. He will go in 2008, someone new will come in - but all those who think and feel like he does, and act like he does in our daily life - those people scare me.

[Just Me]

23. Again, you are assuming a field of existence that simply does not exist.

You are assuming "equality" (e.g. we are all born equal).

"Equality" is a dream that CAN be made real,...but, witness what is ruling this country and imposing its will upon the world. Is that rule pulling people up or pushing them down?

The actualization of "equality" requires leadership, too!!!

Doesn't that dream require an inspirational teacher and leader, stronger than those who exploit people?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. If a labor organizer in South America can be labeled a

terrorist, and if he/she can be taken out by the government in the interest of "national security", then an Iraqi who has been disenfranchised, terrorized, possibly had friends and relatives either tortured or killed by an occupying force, has been living without clean water and only intermittent electricity, who has seen Ahmad Chalabi put in charge of the oil ministry and more can be labeled an "insurgent" who needs to be eliminated. Pardon my twisted logic.

12,000,000 native Americans could have been considered "insurgents" but I am sure this administration would find a way to label them terrorists.

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/globaleconomy/ns05172001.cfm
Terror War on Colombia's Unions Claims More Lives

When a local union president and vice president were murdered recently on their way to work at a Colombian coal mine, they became two of the latest victims in a terror war on that nation’s union leaders and members that has claimed more than 1,500 lives since 1990.

[davelyoung1]

12. Republican International Law

Republican Presidential (Bush) law had changed the legal times, for the executive branch had taken over the judicial branch. It has also started making its own interpretations of International Law, which other countries will soon follow by our example. Treaties and International Law made weak, null and void, for convenience, all over the world by American example. American soldiers in civilian clothes or nonmilitary Americans could be imprisoned, without legal council or representation for year after year without legal representation or trail, declared terrorists. The Geneva Convention treaty dissolved from protecting civilians from any form of mistreatment or imprisonment. Can you image no international court system to protect civilians? Treating civilians by using the American example of imprisonment, we have given the world. Can this be fair to United States citizens who travel overseas for pleasure? No, but our diversity, culture, and religious values must set the standard for the rest of the world. To regain the ground lost by impulsive politicians threatening the future of international relations.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. I am honored to have your first post a response to mine

and a great big welcome to DU!!!! Your first post is cogent, logical, and demonstrates your awareness of what is actually going on in the world, minus the RW talking points and perpetual spin.

Do stay awhile. :)

[Just Me]

16. Welcome, "davelyoung1". It's true what you say.

The BushCO/neoCON regime is leading the world into lawlessness, a "rule of the jungle" barbaric approach to human potential.

They are imposing a dark vision upon the human spirit because they are dark.

We'll get through this. We are strong.

I'm glad you are here!!! :hi:

[Maraya1969]

7. That is a great question to ask someone who supports this war

I've looked it up myself before. There were no "insurgents" in Iraq before the US stuck its foot in. They are all there as a result of the US et al. occupation.

A journalist whose name I cannot remember said that before the war the Iraq men would hang out in bars and drink and smoke cigars. Now they have grown their beads long, stopped smoking, (smoking is against Islamic rule) and become extremists.

I've also asked myself, Who started the "WAR ON TERROR". Yes we were brutally attacked on 9/11 and we needed to bring the guilty ones to justice, (BTW - Where is Osama?) but who exactly started this "War on Terror?" Of course it was Bush and friends. Every time the statement is made it serves for more justification for the US's war on Iraq and then....who next?

Yea, the "War on Terror" is another fictitious character that Bush and co. have created. I wish the Democratic media at least would stop using the phrase.




4 entries found for insurgent.
in·sur·gent Audio pronunciation of "insurgent" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-sûrjnt)
adj.

1. Rising in revolt against established authority, especially a government.
2. Rebelling against the leadership of a political party.

[kliljedahl]

17. BTW - Where is Osama?

Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Hubert Flottz]

8. The Resistance

The Resistance

The Federation of American Scientists has posted a very interesting article from Al Zawra , an Iraqi weekly published by the Iraqi Journalists Association, that provides an unprecedented (for me, at least) look at the size and shape of the resistance groups in Iraq. It’s an amazing account, if it’s accurate.

First it cites the Iraqi National Islamic Resistance, founded in July 2003, the National Front for the Liberation of Iraq, founded in April 2003 (a coalition of 10 groups), the Iraqi Resistance Islamic Front, a Sunni organization, and then a bunch of smaller ones, with details on each.

Then it lists the Baathist groups, including Al Awdah (The Return) and others, which are not Islamist, and describes Shiite groups, including Muqtada Al Sadr’s organization.

And finally, it describes about a dozen kidnapping and terrorist organizations, including Zarqawi’s beheaders. more......

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/the_resistance.php

[Hubert Flottz]

9. The French Resistance

French Resistance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The French Resistance is the name used for resistance movements that fought military occupation of France by Nazi Germany and the Vichy France undemocratic regime during World War II after the government and the high command of France surrendered in 1940. Resistance groups included groups of armed men (usually referred to as the maquis), publishers of underground newspapers or even cinematography and escape networks that helped allied soldiers. French Resistance cooperated with Allied secret services (see Special Operations Executive), especially in providing intelligence on the Atlantic Wall and coordinating sabotages and other actions to contribute to the success of Operation Overlord.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Resistance

[Hubert Flottz]

11. Resistance & Partisan Warfare, European Theater

RESISTANCE & PARTISAN WARFARE, EUROPEAN THEATER

WWII-Resistance

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/mil_hist_inst/w/ww2gen5.asc

[kliljedahl]

18. Iraqi Insurgent

Definition: Any Iraqi civilian slower than a US bullet.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[brentspeak]

19. They're murdering, homocidal, inhuman maniacs

Just today, they blew up a bunch of Iraqi children.

What the U.S. is doing there is clearly wrong, but it doesn't mean that there's anything heroic about these insurgent monsters

[Hubert Flottz]

24. Go check this out and come back and tell us about the kids

*

http://www.web-light.nl/VISIE/extremedeformities.html

[Just Me]

25. Anyone could be labeled an "insurgent".

Yes?

[spanone]

26. Iraqi citizens who are pissed at an occupying force.