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

To: frankw1900 who wrote (18960)	2/16/2002 2:22:31 PM
From: Raymond Duray	Respond to of 281500

Hi Frank, Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Re: I think you should re-evaluate your position. As a reminder to myself, I have a quote from J.M. Keynes taped to my desk. In response to an antagonist in debate, Keynes said: "When the facts are unclear, I keep an open mind. What do you do, Sir?" So, I do try to remind myself that the truth is not merely a convenience and occasional choice of alternatives, but the best way to get a the heart of the matter. I think that you summarize my views and crytalize them perfectly. The business of America is business. Agreed. That said, whatever "business" wants is what will transpire for foreign policy, generally, and with particular respect to Iraq. I've no dispute with you about the nature of Hussein and his regime. To all appearances, he's a tyrant. But he's also an extremely useful wedge that is maintained to prevent the ascendancy of a regional super-power arising out of the Persian or Ottoman past. So we tolerate him, and even, when realpolitic demands, support him. So, are we going to war with Saddam? I doubt it. Two pieces of evidence to the contrary indicate we are merely saber rattling. First, the U.S. is currently buying about 1.2 MM bbl of crude oil from Iraq. Hardly the response one would make to a real enemy, now is it? And secondly, the SPR has not been topped up, which, in the run up to a war would have to be regarded as a prudent part of planning. So, I think our team in Washington is crying wolf and beating the drum for the sake of crowd, not unlike the gladiatorial diversions of the Coliseum in another empire in the past. -Ray