Outside Asylum

Posted by Agrippa (A) on August 22, 2004 at 07:21:31

In Reply to: Re: Maybe another "crisis" in Europe will take care ofthat, you think? posted by regmac on August 21, 2004 at 14:32:39:

"1) You failed to respond to my question."

Sorry, I certainly didn't mean to... I assume you meant "when were we universally popular and respected?" If so, the answer is never. But then, what I said was ALMOST universally popular and respected and the answer to your amended question is during the cold war era and for some time after. Admittedly, that is still too sweeping a statement (I have a tendency to sweep too much), but compared to the general feeling towards the US today, it becomes nearly correct.

"2) Would you rather the Cold War had continued with two superpowers having 20,000 ICBMs pointed at each other?"

A moot point, I believe, as it is fairly obvious in hindsight that the Soviet Union had to collapse at some point. Did the US hasten that process? Absolutely. Was that a good thing? Absolutely.

") Don't conflate Republicans with conservatives. Republicans treat conservatives like prostitutes. They cozy up to us in the dark, when no one is around, only to shun us in the light of day. Many conservatives, myself included, oppose the Bushies imperialist Iraq adventure. As Pat Buchanan is fond of saying: the Founders gave us a republic, not an empire."

I don't believe I've mentioned neither Republicans nor conservatives with a single word. Do correct me if I'm wrong. For the record, party politics is of no interest to me.

"4) As for understanding other cultures, are you suggesting one can enter into negotiations with those who make up Islamic Jihad? Do you think a "dialogue" is possible? Islamo fascists want us dead. End of story. Even if this were not true, what have we in common with a culture wherein the men treat their goats better than their girls? Would you have us look for "root causes?" Iraq and Israel are red herrings. Bin Laden has been at war with us since 1986. We just didn't realize it until 9/11."

Did I mention Islamic Jihad with a word? Don't think so. As for the rest of the above piece, it simply appears to show an inability to look beyond the news headlines. As for Iraq being a red herring - sure, I'm with you 100% on that one, only it was, and is, your current government's red herring. However, if you sincerely believe that Israel is a herring of any colour whatsoever, then you most adroitly prove my earlier point, namely that you lack any kind of insight into what is really going on in the world. Problems do in fact have an annoying habit of having underlying causes and if you in fact believe that people like Bin Laden just pops up for no reason, then I respectfully (and I mean that, although you'll probably not take it that way) suggest that you need to read some world history.

"This is not a choice between war and peace. This is a choice between war and endless war."

Too true! And sadly if US foreign policy continue to be shaped by people like those of your current regime, it will very successfully make sure that it becomes an endless war, as you persist in aggravating the already unsympathetic image you portray outwards. It should require little insight to understand that it is pointless to attack the symptoms, unless you also address the underlying disease, but that is unfortunately where US foreign policy has failed time and time again - hence the current climate of hostility. The real tragedy is that until recently (in historical terms at least) it would have taken comparatively little to change your enemy-image in the Muslim world, whereas now it is most likely too late.

Returning briefly to the first sentence of your #4, the point was of course that by gaining just a little bit of knowledge, understanding and respect for other people's cultures, the US would be able to forsee what impact it's foreign policies will have on the people in question. I personally think that would be a good thing (not to mention that it is the way most governments work, in the interest of maintaining relative peace and harmony), but you may of course disagree.

Agrippa