Quote:
Originally posted by Mike AI@Mar 15 2003, 06:59 PM
PD your a defeatist.
Back in the late 40s people like you were saying that German and Japs could not be taught the concept of Democracy and Free markets. Are you saying that people in the middle east cannot know these great gifts America is founded on?
Do you think the Iraqies have less in common then Japanansese after WWII?? The Japs thought their leaders were Gods... they were jsut as fanatical as the suicide bombers....
Sounds to me like your a racist.... I think Bush beleives the best way to stabilized the region is to spread democracy, and free markets.
Will it take a long time? Yep. Might it fail? Yep. Is it worth trying? Of course.... No country with a McDonalds has ever attacked another country with a McDonalds.
Think about it PD....
|
Defeatist? Well, forgive me for not accepting the McDonalds therory of international relations. I wasn't aware that franchise opportunities would have such a powerful effect on Islamic fundamentalism.
I am certainly no defeatist in the military field; the war will be the easy part. When it comes to the peace I'm a realist - and I'd rather err on the side of pessimism. I don't know where you pulled the racist crap from, but that's absolutely nuts - that's not even a herring, that's a friggin' red whale.
Yes, I do think that Iraq has significant differences from post WWII Japan. One of the ways we facilitated the transition to democracy in Japan was to co-opt the Emporer ... not exactly an option in Iraq. Even more than Germany and Italy, Japan was a country for centuries before their defeat - not an artificial conglomeration of competing and outright hostile ethnic/religous groups.
Look, Mike, the "don't worry, be happy, eat Big Macs and drink Starbucks" scenarios sound really great. Unfortunately, they fly in the face of reality.