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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dale Baker who wrote (25513)	7/30/2006 11:34:08 AM
From: JohnM	Respond to of 541877

The Northern Ireland model has occurred to me. But the power of the British played a crucial role there. I can't think of a comparable power in the ME right now.

To: Dale Baker who wrote (25513)	7/30/2006 11:58:36 AM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541877

I was probably trying to cover too much ground (and I was also talking on the phone to a son- not a good idea to type and talk at the same time). The US reacted to 9-11-- an act by the fringe-- by taking attention away from the fanatics and expanding the reaction to include actual countries. At the same time, they completely ignored the differences in cultures, etc, as they pushed the idea that everyone would embrace our ideals as their own (with that hubristic 'because we are so obviously superior' undertone). It has pushed us away from more diplomatic compromises and policy and closer toward the black-white, us-them dichotomy, forcing many more into the fringe camp. When Condi spoke of the birthpangs of the ME on tv the other day, I was stunned. To me it was condescending and cold and incredibly ill-advised. For such a brilliant woman, it was oddly thoughtless. It implied again that what they currently ARE is inferior and becoming like "us" is the solution. When I talk with thoughtful people these days, I hear confusion and doubt and despair. No one really sees this as birthing a healthy viable anything. To stretch the metaphor, we have induced labor when letting nature take its course would have been far better.