-JDGAt 10:24 PM 10/17/2002 -0700 d.brin wrote: >Gadzooks! YOUR GUYS are the ones flying all over the world giving >away the store in order to build a 'coalition' out of allies who want >nothing to do with this insanity. How many billions to Kazakhstan? >How many Billions to Pakistan?You are the one who advocated that we needed world opinion and the United Nations on our side - and quite simply, our European Allies, whose support you value so much, have made it quite clear to us that the support of these countries is essential.
Not true at all. Please tell me where I ever said this? You are getting a bad habit of leaping to conclusions and making assumptions, John.
Yes, I have contempt for 'coalition-building" that expresses utter disdain for public opinion everywhere in the world except within a narrow US elite.
On the other hand, I do believe that in this transition age the rest of the world sometimes prefers to sit back and leave things to the cop on the beat. I have no problem with giving SH his worst nightmare, a US-Iran alliance, and telling the rest of the world "Just give us tacit nods and we'll take care of the bastard."
That's now. In the LONG term, can you actually envision such a tacit situation holding? For how long? 100 years? 1,000? The idea that there won't be a world govt in 50 years is ludicrous. We have to act NOW to start forging its outlines, while we are the most influential culture, ensuring that it will be loose, distributed, checked, accountable and permanently humble.
Our track record is good. The US virtually MADE the EU by nudging and fostering and protecting. The world knows this. We have deep wells of good will....
...which this administration seems utterly bent on squandering. Even the Reagan administration never ran roughshod over allies this way.
Why not? tally how many americans the Iranians have killed? They have, since 79, been all noise and little action.How many billions and billions and >billions... when the ONE only ally we'd need, in order to eliminate >SH is right next door... Iran. > >Worst of all, cozying up to the Wahhabi cultists in Riyadh. Cultists >who have killed more americans than SH and Iran combined. > >Treason. pure treason. Dr. Brin, you have just argued: 1) That Iran is the only ally we need. 2) It is treasonous to be allied to Saudi Arabia
WE killed 300 of their civilians, in a horribly irresponsible accident... for which they've mostly forgiven us.
The loss of our p[re-79 alliance was a major tragedy. They've suffered from a fever that we helped create. Now the fever might be breaking. Let's HELP it break by apologizing, making up and then offering to help off the man who slew half a million of their sons.
In contrast, follow the smoking guns and money to Riyadh, the people who have fanned the flames in Palestine for 50 years.
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