Gee, I wonder what resources we stole when we stopped Slobodan Milosevic? What brainwashing were Americans undergoing when we fed hungry Somalians and lost 18 soldiers in the process? Were we after Haitian blood when we bloodlessly invaded Haiti to get rid of a dictator and replace him with an elected government? When we overthrew Noriega, was it because we wanted Panama to be a slave? Then why is it today a free nation, with all its resources belonging to Panama?
Noriega = Drugs = CIA = USA ?
I didn’t see that. I think blind US support of Sharon is a huge mistake. It’s not a religious/cultural thing, it’s political.
Posted by adaher:
In principle, yes, but who can say? We haven’t had a right-wing isolationist government since . . . well, since the Hoover administration at the very latest. Every administration since then, Democrat or Republican, has been interventionist in one way or another. Even Jimmy Carter did a lot of meddling, though he didn’t actually invade any foreign country. I wonder if we even know how to be isolationist any more.
I’m with you, Adaher. Wanna truck on over to Amnesty International, pick out the worst of the lot, and start issuing declarations of war? There’ll be a lot of them, but they’ll ALL be good wars. Some of them will be against people who are nominatively our allies, but they’ll STILL be good wars.
Any conservative has an honest desire to wipe out genocidal governments, AND IS WILLING TO GO AFTER THEM BASED ON HOW EVIL THEY ARE, NOT POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY, I’m with you.
Um, I don’t think Saddam was at the top of the list BTW. Frankly, there are much less formidable scumbags doing even worse things than Saddam whom we could have unseated with much less worldwide concern, and much less chance of getting mired in the big Mess O Potamia we’re in now.
I didn’t see that. I think blind US support of Sharon is a huge mistake. It’s not a religious/cultural thing, it’s political.
I agree, but even if I did blindly support Sharon, how does that discredit my views on Iran?
Once again, Evil Captor, just because we can’t do everything doesn’t mean we should do nothing. It’s not as if Saddam and the Taliban are the only ones we’ve removed. Don’t forget Noriega, Charles Taylor, Slobodan Milosevic, and Raoul Cedras. We do what we can.
Well, there’s certainly a debatable proposition. I’m not comfortable with the notion, myself, but I’ll provisionally allow for its legitimacy in wartime if and only if Congress has actually declared the nation to be in a state of war against another nation.
Without a formal declaration of war, I insist that we are (nominally) in peacetime.
Sharon is trying to make the formula anti-administration=anti-semetism.
I wonder who is doing the same thing in regard to their sibboleths? Oh yeah, Bush and Osama.
Perhaps, but it doesn’t change the fact that there is a fine line between simply not supporting the Israeli government and anti-semetism, and some people cross it. Like when they automatically believe conspiracie theories about Israel but want ironclad proof that Saddam had WMD. Or when they excuse the killing of civilians within Israel proper. When they deny the rise of anti-semetism in Europe.
No, really, there isn’t.
This statement does not in any way demonstrate anti-semitism, might make them a jerk, depending upon your point of view. If a person doesn’t want ironclad proof that Saddam had WMD, but automatically disbelieves conspiracy theories on Israel, does that make them racist against Arabs?
Again, an out-of-contaxt statement that in no way demonstrates anti-semitism. A person may believe that it is legitimate to kill civilians to demonstrate a political point. Now, you may think they’re very wrong (as would I), but applying this view to Israel does not suddenly make them “anti-semitic”.
Not even entirely sure what you mean by this. Is this a historical reference or with regard to a contemporary happening? Again, why would this demonstrate anti-semitism? It may be a result of it, but it does not have to be.
When you make ridiculous statements like “there is a thin line between not supporting the Israeli government and anti-semitism”, you devalue the pain, persecution and death that has been wrought through anti-semitism historically and now.
IMHO, if you give the situation in Iran enough time, moderates and pro-westerners will sieze control of the government. If you don’t want to wait that long to get rid of Iran’s nukes, let the Isrealies do it while we furnish the sattelite photos and other intelligence they need under the table. (Bombing raid, what bombing raid? It was all Isreal’s idea! We had nothing to do with that bombing raid, Honest.)
My sentiments exactly.
Avenger, I accept your criticism, and recognize the validity of your argument.
Iran is not Iraq in 1981. Iraq was at war with Iran at the time so it is not comparable. Most people are ignorant of that fact.
Iran is prepared for an Israeli strike so all of their important sites are strategically placed so if a strike does occur, it will only take down one small link in a larger chain. Iran has over 14 significant sites thus far.
When Iran does reform into a full democracy with the important addition on basic rights (seeing that it already has democracy sans the rights), it will be far from pro-western. It will be exactly like Japan. They will only dealing with gaijans when necessary.
The Iranian retaliation for such a strike would be similar to that of Syria. They will ask for UN intervention while using all of their influence to create chaos in Israel via Lebanon and Syria. All in all a big mess.
That is why Israel will not go through with any such strike (considering the findings by the IAEA which have yet to find a shred of evidence of a nuclear weapons program).
Anyone still doubt that - at least right now - the Iranians and the Americans are working together?
U.S. and Europe reach deal on Iran as U.S. makes concession
The strange thing is that it’s a short-term marriage of convenience that’s gone almost completely unnoticed by the “sophisticates” :rolleyes: in the media.
I thought the finding of a uranium enrichment program was a pretty big shred.