Author Topic: Your view on recent Middle East crisis  (Read 24813 times)

Offline dly64

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #50 on: August 02, 2006, 10:41:37 pm »
I hate to be a pessimistic... but there always has been violence in this world. The cold war was a far worse time to live in (though there was not active wars, there was plenty of wars all over the world). The two years we should not forget are 1993 and 1994. Those were some of the most violent years of our time (when huge massacres occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi and neighboring countries).

You are right, there has always been violence in the world and plenty of wars. Being older now, I am much more in tune with the prevalence of global instability. In the mid-nineties, I was only interested if my hair and makeup looked all right. I now have to back track to understand all of the damage that has incurred in past years. Many (most) of these wars are/were bred from hatred spanning hundreds to thousands of years. It is that deep-seated hatred that I cannot understand. I doubt that I ever will. My optimism is that we can find a way to break the cycle of abhorrence. But until we can understand each other’s POV without preconceived notions and without guns, we will never know peace. My frustration is that we, US Americans (or more specifically, the Bush administration), choose not to even engage in diplomacy. You can say I am an idealist, and there is truth to that. However, I am not convinced that the current Iraqi crisis and its regional ramifications would even be happening if we, the USA, would have attempted diplomacy instead of a rush to violence.
Diane

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Giancarlo

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #51 on: August 02, 2006, 10:50:20 pm »
You are right, there has always been violence in the world and plenty of wars. Being older now, I am much more in tune with the prevalence of global instability. In the mid-nineties, I was only interested if my hair and makeup looked all right. I now have to back track to understand all of the damage that has incurred in past years. Many (most) of these wars are/were bred from hatred spanning hundreds to thousands of years. It is that deep-seated hatred that I cannot understand. I doubt that I ever will. My optimism is that we can find a way to break the cycle of abhorrence. But until we can understand each other’s POV without preconceived notions and without guns, we will never know peace. My frustration is that we, US Americans (or more specifically, the Bush administration), choose not to even engage in diplomacy. You can say I am an idealist, and there is truth to that. However, I am not convinced that the current Iraqi crisis and its regional ramifications would even be happening if we, the USA, would have attempted diplomacy instead of a rush to violence.

I wanted diplomacy, but I think over a decade of wrestling with Saddam was enough. I really got tired of him and his regime, and I thought it was time for him to go. The 1990s were not a peaceful time in this world at all. I would know that Iraq would only get worse if Udai Hussein took power. Udai Hussein was killed in the war itself. I think if Udai Hussein did get power after Saddam Hussein left, we would be looking at one of the despicable dictators ever, surpassing that of Slobodan Milosevic and Pol Pot combined. Udai Hussein himself have even killed his own friends. There are people out there that would do anything to prevent a process from going forward. I am putting my support in the current adminstration in Iraq, reluctantly. I do not support everything that it has done.

Nonetheless, even now is more peaceful then the early 1990s. 1993/1994 were the most violent years of my lifetime. I however didn't know that at the time.

Offline ekeby

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #52 on: August 02, 2006, 11:41:01 pm »
And I think it is a big assault on me as a person that you try to tell me my beliefs are not compatible with Iraq. Thanks for insulting me and my views, and then attempting to define what I should believe in. You do nothing but alienate people who have different views then you.

Exsqueeze me? I told you I didn't have an understanding of Libertarianism and I didn't know how a Libertarian would justify invading Iraq. I thought that was pretty straightforward: I was looking for enlightenment. Which, by the way, I didn't get. I certainly did NOT attempt to define your beliefs. How you got that notion I have no idea. You need to re-read what I wrote.
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Giancarlo

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #53 on: August 02, 2006, 11:42:42 pm »
Exsqueeze me? I told you I didn't have an understanding of Libertarianism and I didn't know how a Libertarian would justify invading Iraq. I thought that was pretty straightforward: I was looking for enlightenment. Which, by the way, I didn't get. I certainly did NOT attempt to define your beliefs. How you got that notion I have no idea. You need to re-read what I wrote.

I thought you were saying: Well as a libertarian you can't be for the war in Iraq.

I did give you why I was for the war in Iraq several times.

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #54 on: August 16, 2006, 12:32:41 pm »
My question is, Did Bush ask the Israelis to start an advance on Lebanon in order to deflect attention from the disaster in Iraq??
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Offline dly64

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #55 on: August 16, 2006, 01:07:11 pm »
My question is, Did Bush ask the Israelis to start an advance on Lebanon in order to deflect attention from the disaster in Iraq??

In all reality, I don't think so. There has always been a lot of tension between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel used the kidnapping of their two soldiers as an excuse to invade Lebanon. But guess what? It wasn’t Hezbollah that suffered! It was the civilians whose homes have been destroyed and whose mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, etc. have died. And Bush refused to intervene while all of this was happening …. supposedly all in the name of “terrorism” … what a joke! Of course how could we, as US Americans, have any credence in brokering a cease fire when we invaded Iraq? (Can you guess that I don’t agree with Bush’s policies?  :-\)
Diane

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Scott6373

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #56 on: August 16, 2006, 02:35:22 pm »
(Can you guess that I don’t agree with Bush’s policies?  :-\)

Gee I would have never thought it...LOL...I agree with you about it not being a ploy on GW's part.  Now if it had been asked if Dick Cheney planned something like that...well then I would be hard pressed not to agree, but poor GW is floating out there in the wind.  He has to know he's lost the White House for the Republicans.

Offline dly64

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #57 on: August 16, 2006, 02:46:14 pm »
Gee I would have never thought it...LOL...I agree with you about it not being a ploy on GW's part.  Now if it had been asked if Dick Cheney planned something like that...well then I would be hard pressed not to agree, but poor GW is floating out there in the wind.  He has to know he's lost the White House for the Republicans.

LET'S HOPE!!!! Errrrr ... this nation (USA), IMO, has really suffered at the hands of our “intelligence challenged” president. Why, oh why couldn’t have Gore, the true winner, become our president? We would be living in a very different country if that had occurred. Sigh! :-\
Diane

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Scott6373

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #58 on: August 16, 2006, 02:58:23 pm »
True but Al had bad breath...I met him.  Why of why couldn't Marting Sheen have been elected.

Offline dly64

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Re: Your view on recent Middle East crisis
« Reply #59 on: August 16, 2006, 03:08:26 pm »
True but Al had bad breath...I met him.  Why of why couldn't Marting Sheen have been elected.

Oh no!!! Was it coffee breath or chronic halitosis?  :o So not good!! Martin Sheen could have been a very good alternative! ;D
Diane

"We're supposed to guard the sheep, not eat 'em."