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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (28718)	2/10/2004 4:47:46 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793672

Hi Steven - it appears you've come out of the jungle long enough to have a read on Politics for Pros. And it's always wonderful to "see" you. Given the rareness of your appearances and the value of them when you make them, I wish you'd not started into Nadine with "You have perhaps never heard of the Balfour declaration". I mean, come on. That's gratuitous. Of all people, assume that Nadine "heard of the Balfour declaration." Watching two very intelligent people square off on an idea is one of the rare pleasures of the Internet. Telling Nadine that she may never have heard of the Balfour Declaration is like telling Scalia he may have never heard of the Constitution. OK, please, if you have the time and bandwidth, explain what appears to be your assertion that the pound and the franc "distorted values." Do you mean land values were distorted? Higher or lower? Do you mean foreign exchange values? Given that they were backed by gold during the early years, what difference does the exchange rate make? Wouldn't arbitrage be the answer to distorted values? Are you suggesting that it was deliberately manipulated only for the purpose of Zionism? For colonialism? Do you have any proof of that? Do you mean that European Jews probably had more loose money jangling in their pockets for discretionary purchases than Arabs? More liquidity?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (28718)	2/10/2004 3:10:23 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 793672

I assume, then, that you support the establishment of independent states in Chechnya, and Aceh, and Mindanao, and anywhere else where a minority ethnic group is getting stomped? An interesting question. There will be some new states arising whether I want them or not, but it takes far, far more to build a state than just starting a rebellion. First of all, you need the idea of a state, and you need to convice large numbers of your people that it's worth devoting their lives to that idea. Then you need a political strategy, to get leverage against whoever controls the land now, usually by making alliance with a Great Power and convincing them that you would be a good ally for them. Rather as Chaim Weitzman did with the Brits and their Hashemite clients. True, British support lasted for less than 20 years, but the Zionists made good use of the time. Because the next step is proving absolutely to both friend and foe that you are a viable concern that is strong enough to rule yourself and fight off enemies. Meantime you have to have a political strategy for acquiring international recognition. You have to know when to move and when to bide your time. Just as the Kurds have been using US protection against both Iraq and Turkey for the last 12 years in Northern Iraq, and fighting off Saddam's troops and Ansar al Islam. They would like independence, but are biding their time. Nothing so unique, standard procedure for nation-buildiing.