[LINK] COuld Twitter have prevented the Iraq War?!
Glen Turner
gdt at gdt.id.au
Thu Mar 21 18:01:32 AEDT 2013
>
> My feeling is that the invasion of Iraq would've happened regardless of
> whatever anyone said or did.
I agree, direct lobbying via Twitter users would have had no effect.
But what we don't know is how the social media tools would have lead to more efficient recruitment, organisation, and publicisation of those opposing the war.
Remember that the question for Australia wasn't to go to war or not. But if to contribute or not to the US going to war.
The book "A Very Small Insurance Policy" covered this ground back in the 1980s with respect to our participation in the Vietnam War and the essential reasons don't appear to be too different, if anything the case for the Iraq War is more clearly a case of hoping that our contribution would allow Australia to call on the ANZUS Treaty if needed in the future. Howard had a particular lesson on the importance of ANZUS when Australia's participation the Treaty was a major reason for East Timor not degenerating into a classic army-v-army war.
As you can see, Australia's reasons had little to do with the US's reasons (PNAC, WMDs, etc). Complaining that the WMDs were a conspiracy against the public is to miss the point, as far as Australia's participation is concerned.
-glen
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