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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (45949)	4/17/2004 8:28:03 PM
From: Bilow	Respond to of 50167

Hi IQBAL LATIF; Re: "... Paris post revolution and your own country war of independence from Brits and War between federates and confederates ..." None of your examples are of countries that had freedom imposed on them by an occupying force. After the revolution in France, when the British did beat Napoleon, they installed a monarchy. The US, after the revolution, was occupied by no foreign power, and the Civil war had very little foreign power involvement (none in fighting), and certainly no bloody occupation afterwards by a foreign power. What the US is trying to do in Iraq is to impose Democracy at the point of a gun, and that cannot be done except in very rare circumstances (like Germany and Japan), and as the first 12 months of the occupation of Iraq proves, Iraq is not one of them. Eventually I expect to see Iraq democratic and free. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens within the next 5 years. But any of that can only happen after the US exits. Re: "... the hope Iraq is pregnant with you cannot accept ..." Maybe by "pregnant", you really meant "raped". You didn't mention it in your list of revolutions, but a case more similar to Iraq is that of Iran. There was a violent revolution. A dictatorship arose. And now, over time, we see that land slowly change towards democracy. The same thing is happening most gloriously in China. None of these countries were raped, they impregnated themselves. Re: "... and your pessimism ..." I'm not pessimistic. I see US business as leading the world to a new way of living. You yourself are a good example of this. *I believe that you appreciate the logic, strength and beauty of American ideals.* Did the US military put 18-year old boys with machine guns in your neighborhood to make you think like this? Did American jets drop bombs on your neighborhood? Was your country embargoed so that it was hungry for 12 years? American business wins by giving customers what they want. It turns out that all humans have basic underlying drives that cause them to tend to appreciate the same things. A good example of this is the concept of taking photographs of your family. This is extremely popular even in countries where it is in direct violation to religious teachings. The US was built by emigrants from all over the world and they brought traditions from all over the world, and those traditions competed with each other until only the strongest, the ones that were most attractive, remained. So what comes out of the US has been tested, and is strong, and will eventually win in all competition. No, I'm not pessimistic, I'm realistic. That's why it is me reminding you of your foolishness, rather than you reminding me (though I doubt you'd take the trouble). I understand American power, and its limitations, you do not. Many believe that the primary power of America is its military, but this is not true now, and it has never been true. It is in business and cultural exports that America cannot be beaten. Only countries that live by the sword can have their military be their primary power, and the US just isn't that type of power. If it were, we could easily pacify Iraq by the simple expedients such as killing 10% of every human in any village that an ambush occurs near. The historical record is clear that this sort of activity will pacify a region quickly (though we would probably have to extend it to the rest of the Arab lands, since it would really make the rest of them angry). Re: "... and bookish knowledge cannot appreciate, you are a cocoon who cannot see beyond the well that you have created for yourself, get original get real, that is the way out of self denial." How can you write this after being completely wrong on the war in Iraq a year ago? You should be trying to see if you could absorb some of that bookish knowledge, LOL. -- Carl