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Strategies & Market Trends : Strictly: Drilling II -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 3:11:58 PM
From: Eva	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36161

Bravo, you learned your humanities well! Kudos Eva

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 5:27:15 PM
From: Suma	Respond to of 36161

Very interesting post. You are very knowledgeable and very correct. Keep on posting. Suma

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 5:42:59 PM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Respond to of 36161

The problem with those who think that a quick war is the best way to solve the Iraq problem is (1) that it is unlikely any war will be quick, with few casualties, and (2) there are better, lower cost ways of achieving the same goal. The reason that lower cost alternatives are not considered seriously by the present administration is that (1) they are addicted to the notion that armed might and high technology are all that is necessary to crush a weaker adversary, and (2) the people who make decisions on this and related issues are unaware of over 2000 years of history in this area. The history of the area is replete with successful examples of changing regeimes without need for huge, outside conquering forces. The Eastern Roman Empire ruled in Constantinople for centuries with a minimum amount of force. But they were masters at diplomacy, bribery, and other forms of persuasion far less expensive than putting together a huge, expensive armed force (which they coudn't afford anyway). The Ottoman Turks used other, more subtle ways of holding their empire together, including the granting of complete autonomy to minority ethnic groups--as long as they paid their taxes to the Sultan regularly. The Turks also recruited the most talented minorities to help rule the entire empire. Finances were handled mainly by Jews, many of whom had been invited from Spain during the inquisition. The Sultan also created a very sophisticated intelligence network to identify potential trouble spots early. Major armed forays by the Sultan into neighboring countries, typified by the ill-fated attempt to attack Vienna, were largely unsuccessful. My views come from long study of the history of the area, plus years of work in Muslim countries. It should be noted that the highest ranking person in the administration with academic credentials specialized in the study of Russia (Condolezza Rice). Is there a lesson to be learned here? Art

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 6:00:35 PM
From: Broken_Clock	Respond to of 36161

Good post el, But if you think dropping support of Israel will placate the "Arab" problem...I disagree. Other than that, you've got 20/20 sight.

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 7:50:05 PM
From: Cogito Ergo Sum	Respond to of 36161

Good post.

To: el_gaviero who wrote (26098)	1/20/2003 8:15:32 PM
From: Roebear	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36161

el gaviero & all, When I look at my country, I don’t see the attractive looseness and courage of stouthearted men, but something close to the opposite: the up-tightness of men good at getting grades, good at getting ahead in bureaucracies, good at landing sinecures in think-tanks, good at manipulating symbols and images... el, I disagree strongly on your observations of character, but then we are not looking at same people. You are looking at the politicos, which I view as being current mutations of a plague extant since 1913, no matter what political card they carry, while I look at the citizens, the common man and woman, as an entirely different breed. Much maligned as sheepish Joe Six Pack Homer Simpson stereotypes, it is true they have been mostly, (but not all!), asleep in the soma coma of mass media and controlled opinion in The Matrix. But every so often they wake from their sleep to do something quite unique and noble, often just in the nick of time to save this great nations greatness from folly. It is then that the public claims public opinion for themselves, they begin to question things as they are and to seek answers! I believe such a time is coming again and it will give the upcoming generation a new label. Eventually the conservatives and the liberals, neo or not, manage to up the soma dosage or the iron heel prescription enough to put the Joe's back in a coma where they can be comfortably sheared with a minimum of bleating to disturb the shearers prosperity. But that recurring nap does not remove the noble moments of their lucidity from history. Nor does it remove the fact that the next lucid moments of the US citizen will be quite a surprise to both factions of the political realm. But I will not elaborate on that which as of now I only see as through a glass, darkly, lest I laugh too hard at those who think they see. *** Like ns, demands on my time have grown. I also have some large projects ahead, some concern the market and some do not. Those projects concerning the market are not near culmination any time soon, so I have little in the way of content to discuss and less in the way of time to discuss it. So while I will visit and lurk, I will post much less. Just for the record, I am still in my PM positions and hope to see everyone here on the profitable other side of the golden bull and of course at the beginning of the next Big Trend. Best of luck to all, Roebear