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

To: bela_ghoulashi who wrote (12208)	12/1/2001 4:10:47 AM
From: frankw1900	Respond to of 281500

blandbutmarvelous. I don't care whether anyone likes what I write, or not. Foreign policy is made by men and women with interests to which they are emotionally committed. War starts from the same place. Not discussing the radical roots will bring us to hugely error filled conclusions. (Wrong premises and all that stuff). If we don't understand the fundamental psychological structure that commits our enemy and how this structure is dismantled how do we know we have correct, useful policy? The emotional commitment to a cause can die in exhaustion and perhaps literal devastation, but sometimes it dies from insight, or even disinterest, if there are more attractive alternatives - this is especially so if the people promoting evil are eliminated one way or another. (I think it was an an American general who said his object was to make his enemy unable to continue making war. Both Marshall and MacArthur followed this dictum to the limit in Germany and Japan after WW2 by making the people unwilling to wage war, as well). War is an extension of failed policy. Lots of that after WW1 and it led to WW2. There was quite a bit of good policy after WW2 and it did not lead to WW3 and did lead eventually to the defeat of Soviet communism. (Although there still lots of unaware socialists left about- they'll eventually get it). Lots crappy policy and no policy the last twenty years and its led to the present debacle. If we want any peace and quiet in the next fifty years the programn the US and its allies (if the US and they have any intestinal fortitude) must take to the Islamist totalitarians is this: Defeat them totally in 'war' - and put in place conditions which for a long while will discourage the theist totalitarian program - if this latter means "nation building" then it's still cheaper in lives and money than letting the bloody nonsense carry on for fifty years during which time the nutbars get some serious weapons. This is not boy scout stuff. Afghanistan needs a large peace keeping force and some help keeping it clear of internal interference by Pakistanis. Iranians, Saudis, etc, etc, whilst it gets itself established. Given the independent nature of its people and their general dislike of interference, they wouldn't need help for very long.... A successful, independent Afghanistan would be an excellent reproach to its Pakistani, Iranian and Saudi neighbors. Possibly quite destabilizing to them as well, but would that be a bad thing? Maybe they'd feel a need to clean up their acts. The window is still open for some lunatic to reach in, grab a real weapon, and use it. Has to be slammed shut. High stakes here. I like New York, Paris, London, Cairo, etc.