Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Hawkmoon who wrote (12163)	11/30/2001 8:15:05 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Hawk, I agree with the old dogs and new tricks problem, but most old dogs of war are very glad to see the end of it, even if they have to leave the peace to the younger set to sort out because they don't know how. We oldies know how to fade away gracefully when the time is right. But there are about 28 million Afghans or something like that I believe. So they are actually producing enough food to eat for that many people and DNA mixing continues unabated. So the smart ones can't all have left and not even a significant proportion of them. Nor have they all or even a significant proportion been selectively killed in war [on the contrary, I expect they have selectively survived]. I am sure the DNA talent is all right there and there are swarms of young people waiting to have it good. There are perhaps even a lot of Afghans who would like to go home with civilization on the rampage. I think 'educated' is over-rated and even if most of the educated have indeed left, there is plenty of talent to go on with. I don't believe the UN is in a position to do much. There is no constitutional basis for it or will to really get stuck in and do what's necessary. Until GeorgeW changes US policy and makes the UN into something with teeth, the UN Peacekeepers will be tied to stakes while the slaughter of people in safe-havens continues. Better to keep out altogether unless the UN or USA or Russia or some combo is prepared to point a gun at Dostum and co and give instructions rather than questions and round table multi-party "can't we all love each other" discussions in Bonn. But keeping out will leave a festering wound which might come back to bite the next tallest building in the USA! While the chance is there to sort things out, it should be done. Hitler grew out of the ravages of WWI and I would not be at all surprised to find a replica grow out of the ashes of Afghanistan [albeit lacking the military potential - but as box-cutters showed, it doesn't necessarily take a lot of talent to be destructive]. Mqurice