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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

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To: Art Bechhoefer who wrote (659)	9/21/2001 10:05:12 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (3) of 281500

Let me give you a little perspective on the use of "psychological warfare" via the president's bully pulpit.. Powell might possess the more rational and deliberative approach, but rationality doesn't stir fear in the hearts of your enemy... For that to occur, there must be a measure of irrationality and fear that the US might "over-react" (if indeed, anything we do militarily could be considered as such). This is why Reagan was so effective, imo, in convincing the Iranians that they should end the hostage crisis as soon as he took office. He was a "cowboy" who didn't react on pragmatism, but on the force of principle, no matter how irrational, or the level at which it could create global instability.. I see a lot of these similar qualities in Bush.. He's going to push these guys to the extent that neighboring states, unwilling to be dragged into an all-out regional war on the behalf of the Taleban, will apply extreme pressure on them to appease US demands. And this willingness to escalate this situation to a far higher level, then provides us the ability to appear that we're being rational if we later tone down our demands. Hawkmoon

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