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

To: Bilow who wrote (191525)	7/12/2006 11:05:35 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

I don't think you understand how bad the Iraq war is on our relations with the rest of the world. So you prefer popularity over principle, eh? Better to be popular, and take no actions that enable democratic reform and accountable government to take root in the Muslim world, right? Better to be popular with those Fundamentalist/fanatic supporters of Al Qai'da in various parts of the region (Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran) than to fight for the principle of thwarting their totalitarian agenda? Better to leave an intransigent and brutal regime in place than to enforce the principle behind UNSC binding resolutions that demanded full cooperation, dismantlement, and full disclosure of it's WMD programs? It seems to me that human history is full of examples where popularity over principle has led us down the path of self-destruction. What do you think folks like Bin Laden, Zarqawi, Abu Ayyub Al-Masri, or Zawahiri think about being popular with muslims (since they are killing so many of them)?? If they kill too many muslim "infidels" (non-salafist/takfirists) which is making them increasingly unpopular with the muslim world, do you think they will stop using violence to pursue the establishment of their totalitarian religious Caliphate?? Will they permit themselves to renounce violence and pursue their ideological agenda within a democratic system (and uphold the democratic process should they fail to be popular with the people that elect them by relinquishing power after a losing election)?? Popularity works both ways.. And while you think this war might be unpopular, my impression was that the insurgents are even more unpopular with the Iraqi people (as a whole). The Taliban were initially pretty popular because they brought order to the chaos that was Afghanistan after the Soviets left. But when they told people they could listen to TV, radio, put their women in Burqhas and denied the children their long-time pastime of flying kites, they be very unpopular and easy to overthrow. But we never thought it would be "popular" for us to overthrow them.. It would have enraged the Pakistanis, concerned the Russians and Chinese, and any other number of other countries who would have perceived the US as "over-reacting" to the spate of terrorist bombings perpetrated by Al Qai'da. Now, of course, we had to suffer a brutal attack first that destroyed one of our premier urban landmarks and killed 3,000 people before we finally decided that principle was more important than popularity. Popularity might be fine for you... But I prefer being unpopular and principled, than unprincipled and popular. Hawk