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Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Merriwether who wrote (2159)	4/6/1999 5:19:00 PM
From: Meredith Cullen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Paul, it take generations for people to change. Look at racial relations in this country, tribal conflicts in Africa, or religious conflicts all over the world. Meredith

To: Paul Merriwether who wrote (2159)	4/6/1999 5:35:00 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

The fact is that we are talking about human beings who over time, with education and exposure to democracy(and the american way :) Good point. But. The historian Vito (not well known today, but worth reading) developed the theory that societies go through three stages on their way to Democracy, and that until they go through all the stages they cannot sustain Democratic society. That's summarizing a complex theory into one sentence and not doing it any justice, but if he is correct, we CAN'T force people into Democracy until the people become ready (sort of like you can't get kids to read until their brains have developed to a certain stage, no matter how hard you try.) Examples? They abound. Just look at Russia. Look at all the African countries we tried to force into democracies. It's not because the people are bad or uneducated or stupid. It's that the societal development just isn't there. Keep in mind that in the mind of Serbs, it is the Democratic societies which have been bombing them, and the non-Democratic ones (Russia, Iraq, etc.) which have been supporting them. Do you really think they look kindly on America and its institutions? It would be nice if you were right. But do you really think that Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo will be able to create a functioning democratic government on the U.S. model any time within the next 200 years? Not what you wish would happen; what you know in your heart will happen?

To: Paul Merriwether who wrote (2159)	4/6/1999 6:02:00 PM
From: cAPSLOCK	Respond to of 17770

You have laid out a great case--only if you think of Serbs and Kosovites as "Lions and Hyenas"(or pick your pair of competing animals) in a National Geographic documentary. To say that these folks have been fighting since for ever, and THEREFORE will continue to do so for ever is to deny progress in human beings. The fact is that we are talking about human beings who over time, with education and exposure to democracy(and the american way :) ) can be convinced to coexist. The dividend will be a stable Europe for the next millenium. Heh.. Well if we just kick enough ass maybe they will grow up and realize fighting with each other is a bad idea? Is this the 'American Way' you speak of? Where were we when Serbians were being made into refugees by Croats? There is to this day more Serbian refugees than Kosovar refugees. I am not a simply antiwar... I just think it is arrogant for us to act as if we are doing the world a big favour here. As a matter of fact we seem to have made every situation worse. I am confused with the mentality that this is some sort of kindly big brotherly ass whoopin... When you line up all the reasons we have been given for this action it just doesnt completely make sense. (Especially in the light of our history of inaction) What on EARTH are the helicopters gonna do when they get there halfway through this month??? The whole thing is like a Joseph Heller novel. cAPS