Berney, Jury, JT, et al:
I'm actually slightly miffed. I've discussed how people are inconsistent in criticizing one viewpoint or another, but I have never justified the U.S. intervention.
a.) It is clearly illegal. Milosevic did not invade a foreign country, it is a civil war. If anyone is "invading" a sovereign nation, it is the U.S. We would consider flights and bombing runs over Florida to be an act of war. Our intervention in Yugoslavia is not in NATO's charter nor in the U.N. charter, nor was the security council consulted.
b.) There is a moral argument, but it is a very thin one. Why don't we intervene everywhere else that there is ethnic cleansing or genocide? Furthermore, if we were trying to stop this, it would have taken some planning and some force. (Berney, your comment is exactly correct, politicians always screw around instead of providing a defined goal and sufficient resources to attain that goal.)
c.) We are not stabilizing the region. We are destabilizing it, just as we did in Viet Nam. Soon everyone will be mad at us, and counting on us to supply food, lodging, etc. Corruption will be more profitable than honest work, etc.
There are other reasons that the intervention is questionable. But here is what I question:
Everyone has criticisms, but no solutions. Everyone judges, but shifts the criteria back and forth as suits them. Everyone feels superior, by being sarcastic.
In the end, that doesn't result in any progress in understanding how such things happen or how to fix them.
I have said that the Americans will declare victory and come home, but I have never said that they are unhurt. On the contrary, the entire world is hurt.
I have also said that Jury is quite happy not to intervene, because Jury doesn't live in Kosovo. (Sorry, Jury, I just picked you out as an example because you're against any intervention. At least you've taken a viewpoint and suggested a solution.) Do we all just ignore the problem? Maybe so, but we have no business feeling superior until we suggest a better way.
If this discussion offends anyone, let me know and I will drop it. I'm just waiting to see what happens as the INTEL shortfall sorts itself out.
Regards,
Marc |
