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.

Pastimes : WORLD WAR III -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (389)	3/16/1999 9:23:00 AM
From: chaosad	Respond to of 765

I don't believe that military intervention in the form of air strikes will be sufficient to eradicate a centuries-old ethnic hatred. If anything, this action will serve to reinforce those feelings and worse...it will potentially direct those negative sentiments towards the American citizenry. The extent of American military involvement abroad is contingent (in some small part) on the will of the American people. When American soldiers begin to arrive home in body bags, we will most likely see an abrupt about-face in our foreign policy towards that part of the European theatre.

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (389)	3/16/1999 9:36:00 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Respond to of 765

That's why I see the US presence in NATO as a democracy label. I may not agree with each and every US intervention abroad but, as far as Europe is concerned, I think the US can prevent Europe from collapsing again into totalitarianism. Well, I have no current problem with US participation in NATO as it secures our voice in European matters that always seem to wind up impacting us in some manner. But I believe that Europeans are using the US as a crutch in dealing with Serbia. The Balkans are a European problem and it should not be left to the US to formulate and engineer political solutions in Europe's backyard. Serbia should be isolated until a more amenable gov't take control there. We certainly should not put US troops on the ground there where they will become prime targets for Serb snipers. Lose the US support due to fears of another Vietnam, and you will find the Balkan situation seriously degraded. US troops are ALWAYS at risk in these types of operations because the opposition knows that if our boys wind up being killed in an country where we have no vital interests (or can't define those interests to the public), the US will face strong public pressure to pull out with our tails between our legs. American are not fools. They might understand sending troops to Haiti (another boondoggle), but they can't justify sending troops to Serbia/Kosovo when the European nations are hesitant to do so themselves. The Balkans debacle has displayed in glaring detail the lack of European fortitude in asserting its interests. Regards, Ron

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (389)	3/17/1999 2:53:00 AM
From: BillCh	Respond to of 765

Kosovo was ignored until they had an army. The Balkans was seen as a military situation at the Dayton Peace Accords, and the respective military positions was mapped in detail. The Kosovars at that time were trying non-violent methods of protest but were ignored. Military situations are allocated forces. Most of the tasks carried out by these peace-keeping forces then has more to do with cheerleading than with warfighting, so its difficult to keep well-trained sodiers in the force. Military force is a bad match to the problem, and neither side benefits. If as Clinton recently remarked in Central America, ther'es a new role for services, perhaps a new peace-keeping service should be formed.