Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neeka who wrote (585791)	6/27/2004 10:02:09 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 769670

<font brown=brown> NOW he wants allies.......how much do you want to bet they tell him to kiss off? And you know who will pay for his prior hubris and mendacity.....not Bush but American soldiers! Such sht! <font color=black> ***************************************************** Courting Allies, Bush Ends Rift With the Turks By SUSAN SACHSand ERIC SCHMITT Published: June 28, 2004 STANBUL, June 27 — President Bush reassured Turkey on Sunday that it was once again a friend in good standing, despite its refusal to support American troops in the invasion of Iraq last year. Meanwhile, administration officials pressed other reluctant NATO allies to commit themselves to rebuilding Iraq's security forces. On the eve of a two-day NATO summit meeting that will be dominated by Iraq and the rifts caused by the American invasion, Mr. Bush concentrated on the theme of reconciliation and on refocusing the alliance to use its military muscle in new ways, especially in Iraq. Advertisement "We are going to work together to help make sure that NATO is configured militarily to meet the threats of the 21st century," he said before a meeting with the NATO secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. The meeting of 26 leaders will begin on Monday at a conference center in central Istanbul. Security precautions have all but shut down the main business district and cleared the normally busy Bosporus waterway of most tankers, party boats and cargo ships. Nonetheless, thousands of demonstrators protesting Mr. Bush's visit converged on the city Sunday. At a time of widespread anti-American feeling in the Islamic world, Mr. Bush also took pains to praise Turkey for building a secular democracy that could serve as an example to other predominantly Muslim nations. Meeting with local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, he also described Turkey as a country that has fostered tolerance between its Islamic majority and its minority religious groups. "They represent the very best of Turkey, which is a country that is secular in politics and strong in its faith," he said. He ended his remarks by thanking the assembled Turkish religious figures "for being so faithful to the Almighty God." Turkey's government and its powerful military establishment had been anxiously awaiting a resounding American endorsement after more than a year of strained relations between the two old allies. The tensions stemmed from the Turkish Parliament's refusal to allow American troops to pass through its territory for the invasion of Iraq. The vote was an embarrassment for the powerful Turkish military, which had been eager to take an active part in the war. It also undermined the efforts of the newly elected government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to court favor with Washington. Relations grew even more tense after the war, when Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz openly criticized the Turkish military for not making good on its promise of support and called on Turkey to apologize for the decision of its Parliament. But in meetings with Mr. Erdogan and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President Bush was said to have declared that all was forgiven. "These meetings today made clear that whatever the differences U.S. and Turkish governments had over Iraq, from this point forward — and both the Turkish president and the Turkish prime minister in their meetings made this clear — from this moment forward, Turkey sees its interests and the American interests in Iraq as parallel and consistent," said a senior American official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. While Turkey and the United States appeared to put their differences behind them, divisions remained between the Bush administration and its allies over Iraq. Intense negotiations in advance of the summit meeting centered on an appeal from Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, for NATO training and technical assistance. American officials expressed guarded confidence that NATO member nations would agree on some sort of limited commitment to help train Iraqis. But differences persisted over how and where to provide the training, and over whether a training program could be under the aegis of NATO or merely coordinated by NATO. "We have a lot of work to do to find out what the Iraqi needs are, specifically what they have in mind, what NATO can offer," said the senior American official who briefed reporters on background (off the record). "This is a big deal. But I believe that NATO will agree that this is an urgent mission and it's got to be carried out fast." nytimes.com

To: Neeka who wrote (585791)	6/28/2004 9:36:36 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

"Democracy springs from the heart and soul of ordinary men with vision enough to understand that it is their only chance to self govern." Well said! (It is also a most difficult form of governance to keep... and to 'get right'.) Good article, thanks. Your article's comments about the American Civil War are interesting, parenthetically, I was watching a history piece about the American Revolution the other day... and noticed that when the Brits took their army to the south they called on the slaves to rise up (promising them freedom... the British Empire abolished slavery far earlier then the US did). I was struck by the thought that, if the Rebellion had not occurred until some decades later (perhaps if King George had not been on the scene), then an entirely different history might have unfolded, if manumission had been promoted better (or, at a more propitious time?) "Islam is the most complete merger of politics and religion the world has seen since its inception, certainly more complete than, say, bushido Japan." I don't know... Bushido seems about as complete a melding of religion and political power as one can imagine... except perhaps for the Catholic Church during it's heyday in the Middle Ages, the Papal States, Holy Roman Empire, etc. "An historical, basic tenet of Islam, not just radicalized Islam, is that all human affairs of any kind must be under divine control. The separation of religion and politics that the West took centuries to develop is formally absent from Islam, the radical variety or not." Correct. Islam missed out on a Reformation, which is what changed things in the West. It has been noted before that only the later-day so-called 'Desert Religions' (Christianity and Islam) are vigorously expansionist... so, Reformation or no, they still have several commonalities when it comes to their conceptions of how to exercise Earthly power. I think that one of the greatest enemies of individual and societal liberty is the concept of Theocracy. Theocracy and Democracy are polar opposites.