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Politics : Foreign Policy Discussion Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (6686)	4/5/2004 12:49:00 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 15987

Yes, certainly it would have, most certainly economically. Then I guess there's no more reason the US needs to supply aid and assitance to Israel, now is there? Would you agree that the US should end it's billions of dollars in loan guarantees to Israel? The Arabs have always had more men and guns, it's not the equipment that wins or loses the wars. And that sure has helped the Israelis in dealing with Islamic Militants and suicide bombers, just like it helped the US in protecting the WTC from being destroyed.. Rule 1... NO amount of arms and weapons can prevent someone hell bent on blowing themselves up, along with thousands of other people. We couldn't stop Kamikazes in WWII and neither Israel or the US will be able to 100% guarantee that we don't someday suffer an even more catastrophic attack upon this nation, should they obtain the WMDs to accomplish the task. it went on during intifda; it went on during the truces. The indoctrination does not depend on Israeli actions. But it does involve on Israeli INACTION in the face of a growing regional willingness to use suicide and WMDs to accomplish their own agenda.. Nadine... listen.. I understand the principles you're professing.. I even agree with them to a large extent. We shouldn't permit ourselves to be intimidated by this irrationality in the Mid-East.. But it's growing.. has been growing over the past 10 years to the point where Arabs see suicide bombing as a legal means of advancing their agendas. Now we have a choice. We can stand on principle and await the eventual clash of civilizations that Bin Laden and his ilk wish to foist upon us, knowing full well that they have NO DESIRE to permit a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it serves a useful purpose for inflaming the Arab street and finding willing recruits. Or we can take steps to remove this useful recruiting tool (and excuse for socio-economic failure) from their hands and taking concrete steps to prove to the Arab street that the US (and west) really stands for more than merely preserving corrupt and illegimate regimes in power for the purpose of securing the region's oil supplies. We can show the average muslim that we're willing to welcome them to the global economy, but on our terms of international behavior and decorum, but they are not going to believe we're sincere so long as they perceive that we're constantly taking the side of Israel and not the Palestinian people (forget Arafat and his minions).. Those people who merely want the opportunity to exist and prosper, send their kids to school so they can have a better life than their parents, and to find some kind of justice in their personal lives rather than constantly being played as the pawns of selfish and corrupt powers in the region. Again, the regional powers that be have little interest in seeing peace between the Palestinians and Israels. That logic alone should dictate that it's in the interest of the West to push, if not impose, a end to that conflict.. Hawk. I am making an argument about the complete uselessness of it, the total counter-productivity of it. You cater to this craziness, all you get is more craziness. It is time to stop making excuses for the Middle East. Then I guess, in your opinion, it's time to wage a major strategic war upon the entire region, occupy them, and force a Japan-style systemic change, right? Are you willing to pay that price in American blood and treasure? And can you guarantee that it will achieve the results you desire? When someone asserts that a situation is "useless", it's general a sign that they are advocating far more drastic measures. Hawk