>>>PT: ...even though it'll probably mean more work and less time for me...
LAZ: Oh, we will keep you fully occupied. Count on it. :-)<<<
Just remember, you don't determine my time and choice. I do! (LOL)
>>>LAZ: If DUray is a buddy, you should rather seriously question your choice of friends. This is an EXTREMELY bad sign.<<<
I like everyone who doesn't present themselves in a gross manner. Ray presents challenging thought. I like him. You do too. I like you. Now can't you sorta feel the same way? If not, why not?
>>>PT: ...the end result would become more, not less, terrorism. This has happened.
LAZ: Since the Iraq war there have been .... terrorist attacks on US soil. Fill in the number.<<<
I know there haven't been any on US soil, at least not any that have been publicly acknowledged. By the way, do you know exactly what happened when the shores of New York's harbor went up in firery flames--the so-called tanker explosion? That news story seemed to disappear a bit too quickly. How come? Also, do you know for sure what really happened when the Northeast and parts of Canada went black? I've heard explanations for both, but don't yet have any real answers.
As you know, however, my reference to terrorism on the rise is explicitly rooted in the fact we're losing four or five soldiers a week and accompanying each death are about 20 casualties (mostly loss of limbs).
Besides, your argument only exists until the next big thing happens here in the U.S. Will it? Sure seems like boxcutters get on airplanes quite easy these days--what else could happen? Further, what equivacates to one year for our way of thinking may mean five years to the terrorist-in-planning. Frankly, I don't think you can comfortably make a claim for comfort. Can you?
>>>PT: ...I predict Iraq ultimately will get carved into two nations....
LAZ: Maybe. Iran is a counterargument against that.<<<
I think Iran could become a participant to such a plan. Not under Bush-Cheney, however.
>>>PT: ...the Turks would be satisfied so long as the Kurds don't get their own separate nation....
LAZ: Oh, yes, and the Turks. The LAST thing they want is a separate Kurd nation. This supposedly is one of the reasons they were unwilling to cooperate with the US in the run up to the war.<<<
Credit the Turks for not taking Bush's bribe money.
>>>PT: ...One nation will include a Kurd, Sunni and Shite combo; ....
LAZ: Recipe for disaster without a dictator to hold things together.<<<
So how is a democracy supposed to take hold under the current Iraqi alignment? Are you agreeing that the Bush-Cheney Adminjistration has been lying to the American people, that an Iraqi democracy is possible?
>>>PT: And who knows, perhaps Iran would even cede some of its waterway access to the new Shite nation so that the new combo Kurd/Sunni/Shite nation could also maintain waterway access.
LAZ: Wake up. You're dreaming.<<<
It's amazing what real diplomacy can accomplish. Unfortunately, we don't find any under the Bush-Cheney regime.
>>>PT: [re: oil] ...If the U.S. insists on a major role here, never will there be the possibility of peace! ....
LAZ: Why? I don't see that as a given.<<<
OK, you think oil has nothing to do with anything and I guess HAL is nothing but a ghost corp.
>>>PT: The U.S. president will also have to communicate with Palestinian-elected leader Arafat, and thus work toward a bullypulpit solution among the Israelis.
LAZ: THe US will HAVE to adopt a more balanced ME policy. And that is a major domestic politics problem. THat's why it hasn't happened yet.<<<
Are you voting for the Democrats this election? You should.
>>>PT: Unfortunately, I don't think any of the above will happen or even come close to happening under a Republican Administration.
LAZ: You wouldn't, of course.<<<
Carter and Clinton came closer trying than any Republican president. Maybe the next Democrat will actually make it happen, especially in the aftermath to what we in the world have just witnessed.
>>>PT: Moreover, the U.S. should take the lead in sponsoring international forums that highlight how jobs and fair trade, economic opportunity, if you will, are preferable to a life of terrorism.
LA: I'm SURE that the thugs will be HIGHLY impressed.<<<
Who are the thugs, the poor folk; or the rich folk?
>>>PT: ...In other words, think with an educated mind instead of a military mind....
LAZ: You and Ray, of course, like your idol, that coward Slick Willie, denigrate the military mind. May I point out that your sweet sounding well intentioned initiatives have often failed and just as often backfired? How many times has the ME mess been settled by diplomacy? Why, I remember Saint Jimmy Carter assuring us he had done it!<<<
If you don't succeed the first time, try, try again. I do, however, give Bush some credit for calling for a Palestinian state. But I'd guess were he not intent on war in Iraq he wouldn't have done that. But what good is such a pronouncement when he refuses a dialogue with the Palestian peoples' elected leader?
>>>LAZ: You also discount the successes of the hardnosed, kick-butt approach. Where is Hitler now? Tojo?<<<
What successes? At any given time there world has a couple of dozen wars and mini-war conflicts in process. Is this what you mean by success? Has all of this so-called hard work and butt-kicking earned Americans the distinction of working longer work hours per year than any other free nation? I guess we sorta have to do that here in order to make ends meet (You are familiar with this statistic, aren't you?). Oh, well, at least we get July 4th off and a few days around Christmas and Thanksgiving; and a walk in the park is a walk in the park--still nice!
The above sorta dovetails nicely with the fact America puts more people in jail than any other free nation. Way to go butt-kickiers!
>>>PT: ...not try to force the sameoldism that a lot of people in the world hate down the throats of those who live in Third World nations.
>>>We are NOT going to surrender. Got it?<<<
I don't think you realize it yet, Laz. But we've already surrended way too many freedoms. And if you can't challenge and work to make freedom even greater, then I guess that's a surrender too. |
