Demo,
I am unaware that the average Iraqi citizen had access to firearms, as you suggest. I was under the impression that the regime of Saddam Hussein restricted access to these devices. If firearms were generally available to Iraqi citizens, then it would stand as a unique exception in the annals of dictatorships. I should like to read up on this. Would you provide me with your references when you get a chance?
Now that America is attacking, it seems that those wanting freedom are indeed welcoming their liberators. "Applause as Marines enter Basra", BBC World Service,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2875777.stm
I don’t recall reading that "… everyone there has been raped or tortured by Saddam and his sons". The trick, as I have had it explained to me, is to release enough torture victims who will tell their tales to the general public, to ensure that the general public remains in fear of their lives. A reprehensible practice, but one which is, I am led to believe, effective.
I know many people who would knuckle under to the threat of torture or execution, and truth be told, I would probably (I like to think not, but I hope never to be put to the test) be numbered among them. Both you and I know that that is what happened in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and still exists today in Communist China, Burma, Syria, and a distressingly large number of other countries.
I tell you again, if you have children, your first thoughts are how to protect them. Now, I will admit, that is very much my opinion, and perhaps other people don’t think as highly of their offspring as I do of mine. Perhaps we could invite those members of our community who are parents to share. This way you won’t have to rely on merely what I have to say.
In re the "overall living conditions" about which you inquire: they are awful – and deteriorating. Permit me to refer you to an anti-embargo reference from which this quote comes. "In addition to the scarcity of resources, malnutrition problems also seem to stem from the massive deterioration in basic infrastructure, in particular in the water-supply and waste disposal systems. The most vulnerable groups have been the hardest hit, especially children under five years of age who are being exposed to unhygienic conditions, particularly in urban centers. The World Food Program estimates that access to potable water is currently 50 percent of the 1990 level in urban areas and only 33 percent in rural areas."
"Iraq and Sanctions: Myth & Reality", Voices in the Wilderness,
http://www.nonviolence.org/vitw/pag...lity_print.html
We can debate at leisure the why and wherefore, but I trust this responds to your point.
Saddam Hussein’s regime offers wealth and power to those who are members. The top echelon lives better than you and I; they are most decidedly not treated badly. When expressed that way, I can see no reason whatsoever as to why the ones who could overthrow Saddam Hussein would overthrow Saddam Hussein.