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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: michael97123 who wrote (150303)	11/1/2004 5:35:50 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

<It seems to be he succeed in afganistan to some degree> Define "success". Be specific, using verifiable and reproducible parameters. I think I can, using your own definition of success (whatever it is), and citing authorities you believe in, show that Afghanistan has not been a success.

To: michael97123 who wrote (150303)	11/1/2004 6:03:20 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

re: "the beautiful but dangerous illusion of pacifism" In the year 1750, most realistic, practical, hardheaded people in the world knew that slavery was a necessary evil. They said, "All cultures, in all ages, have had one version or another of slavery. It is part of the human condition, and ordained by the Bible. Give the Lesser Races freedom, and anarchy will result. Some people must be ruled by the whip, and that's just the way it is, and always has been. Only utopian idealists talk about the beautiful but dangerous illusion of Abolition. In the year 1800, most realistic, educated people throughout the world, would have agreed that Jefferson's experiment in America was doomed to failure. They would have said, "Democracy always fails. Look at history. Look at the common man. Most people are stupid, corrupt, ignorant, selfish. Give a people freedom, and it always collapses into anarchy, and then some Authoritarian takes over, and Order Is Restored. Only utopian idealists believe in the beautiful but dangerous illusion of democracy." In the year 2004, most realistic, practical people ridicule pacifism. Almost everyone prays to a Tribal War God (even the atheists revere the God of the Book of Joshua, whose real name is Kali). A few pray to a God of Justice (EyeForAnEye, Strict Reciprocity, the Law of Moses or Mohammed). Almost nobody prays and obeys a God of Peace (the God of Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tzu). In the year 2004, the world is like a spaceship, with all the astronauts holding grenades. Nobody is in charge, and the astronauts don't get along very well. Half the astronauts are scheming to steal everyone else's grenade. The other half are telling their children, "better to die, than let go of your grenade." The Crusaders go to Church on Sunday, sing "blessed are the peacemakers", and applaud the killing of innocents the other 6 days of the week. The Jihadists do the same. Only utopian idealists believe in the beautiful but dangerous illusion of peace.