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

To: neolib who wrote (184689)	4/6/2006 4:55:29 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

But you went astray in the above. My belief is that confrontational methods prolong, rather than shorten the time it takes for change., And I disagree with you. Because confrontational methods, including the overthrow of belligerent and illegimate totalitarian regimes expedites the path to democratic reform and saves considerable bloodshed in the long-run. Exactly how do Totalitarian regimes remain in power when they lose the support of the people who initially viewed them as a panacea for their problems? They repress. They torture. They make political opponents "disappear". And they use nationalistic jingoism to justify waging war against other nations, thereby placing their citizens in a position of having to fight for the very existence against other people. All of these things are done to PREVENT people from exercising any motivation to oppose their regime internally. Agression is a convenient "distraction" that stifles internal opposition. If you oppose the government, you're conscripted into the military (or your sons are) and suddenly you're faced with a decision of supporting the national effort (and the lives of those close to you), or being accused of subversion and collaboration with the enemy. This is why Totalitarian regimes are so adept at prolonging the inevitable and avoiding political collapse and insurrection. Look how long it took for the Russian Empire, mired in a costly and imcompetently executed war against Imperial Germany, to eventually be overthrown by the Russian Revolution. Years... and countless gallons of blood. So yes.. Totalitarian regimes, like a star going Super-Nova, will EVENTUALLY collapse in on themselves. But the huge amount of carnage that ensues in the process will scar the region/globe, for decades. And failing to confront them in their nascent stages only encourages and promotes their consolidation of internal and regional power. Without having to face a strong and determined external opposition that undermines their ideological vision, they are relatively free to act on their ambitions. This was the same case with the Soviets. Had we not providing the money and arms that Pakistan them supplied to the Mujahidin in Afghanistan, the Soviets would likely not have been as quickly defeated there. And not facing any external opposition from the other major superpowers, they would have been encouraged to continue their ambitions for a warm water port. Pakistan and Iran would have little choice but to comply, were the US not to become involved in confronting them. But instead, they were defeated, and this led the way for the disenchantment of the young people in Russia who no longer were willing to believe the lies of their government. Of course, we helped to create a monster (the Mujahidin) and failed to properly deal with them once the Soviets left. And we failed to support Massoud in opposing the Taliban.. But that, my friend, is another story.. ;0) Hawk