Talk:Confronting Tyranny

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Provide course feedback here. Thanks! --Lbeaumont (discuss • contribs) 11:53, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

@Lbeaumont: History is written by the victors. Hussein opposed the petrodollar and he nationalized banks and oil. People who do that sort of thing don't seem to live very long lives. I have to wonder whether the people of Iraq actually considered him a "tyrant" as this resource does, or as a leader. I cannot answer that. Washington also fought against foreign aggression. He won and he is remembered as a hero. AP295 (discuss • contribs) 21:42, 1 April 2021 (UTC)

And I'm not saying that Hussein was any sort of hero, but there's something a bit "off" about this resource that I can't quite put my finger on. I don't mean to be so vague, I'll let you know if I think of something more constructive. AP295 (discuss • contribs) 05:36, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

@Lbeaumont: To fully understand these historical figures, I don't think it's wise to attribute their actions (good or bad) to a set of personality traits and leave it at that. Are you familiar with the phenomenon from probabilistic reasoning known as "explaining away"? AP295 (discuss • contribs) 14:39, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

Thanks for these comments. Where does this resource "attribute their actions (good or bad) to a set of personality traits and leave it at that"? Thanks. --Lbeaumont (discuss • contribs) 18:26, 2 April 2021 (UTC)

This resource characterizes the "tyrant" as an archetype defined by a set of personality traits. Was Hussein just a big fat meanie? Maybe he was and that's all there is to it, but I do not know. A patriot cannot be all bad. AP295 (discuss • contribs) 00:47, 3 April 2021 (UTC)

Dignity this, Martin-Luther-King that, black lives matter, George Floyd, etc. etc. We'll never hear the end of it. What about the half-million-plus Iraqis killed in the process of overthrowing Hussein and the Iraq War? It has all been said many times before, but they seem to have faded from public memory rather quickly. We have some odd priorities, and they're only getting odder. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I wish this resource focused less on superficial personality traits and more on substance. I agree with a lot of what you've written here, but my impression is that you're slightly off the mark. AP295 (discuss • contribs) 02:25, 4 April 2021 (UTC)

And I understand the importance of energy security, national defense, etc. I am not necessarily anti-war, and I consider myself a patriot. However, I think we should ground our beliefs in reality rather than media-driven hysteria. Please consider editing this resource. AP295 (discuss • contribs) 15:35, 4 April 2021 (UTC)