--- Gautam Mukunda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> --- Deborah Harrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > My understanding of the 17th was that there was an
> > implied clearance for military action if Iraq
> failed to cooperate...? Is that incorrect?
>
> No, that is correct. That's exactly what 1441 said.
Thanks for the clarifier.
<snipped most of very well-put discussion why France
is benefited in the short-term by voting against war>
> N.B., this isn't just true for France. It's true
> for
> damn near everyone (except Britain, which derives
> much
> of its international prominence from the "special
> relationship"). So why would I support the US?
What
> evidence could possibly convince me to support the
> US, when there's no incentive for me to do it? This
>isn't medicine. I'm not interested in what's best
for
>Iraq, or the world. I'm interested in what's best
for
> _France_ (or Germany, or Russia, or China, or what
> have you). This is why saying "We need a coalition"
> is fantasy. We're not going to get one, because
> it's
> not in _anyone's_ short-term interest. If we do, it
> will be because people back a winner, and the Bush
> Administration (by demonstrating it's unshakeable
> resolve) will have shown that it's a winner. But
> that's it. So how do you propose getting support
> from
> people who aren't interested in a rational debate
> about whether or not this is a good idea for the
> world - since that's not their concern anyways?
Then show why it's in their interest *in the
long-term.* Offhand, I'd say that the Muslim
extremists will eventually target France because they
are, after all, part of the hated West - women aren't
veiled, they vote and drive, and religion is tolerated
but not considered necessary. Would it be overboard
to suggest that some extremists would like revenge for
the Battle of Tours? {Mind you, I actually knew about
that one from the history of the Arabian horse!}
If the US was truly crippled by some fantastically
sucessful terrorist plot, who *would* be the sheriff?
Who would stand as the dam against chaos? - oh, I
think that points of light would remain in the
darkness, but they would have to be very, very
careful.
And who would buy all that French wine? and cheese?
and haute couture culture? If the US were crippled,
the world economy would nosedive, I think for a very
long time indeed.
<sigh> I realize that asking politicians to think
long-term is a daunting task, but - in so many ways -
it is truly important.
Debbi
who managed to get in another mention of horses :)
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