Let's move onto the next conflict

Originally posted by Colin@Apr 10 2003, 05:13 AM
JR,

Do you think it is possible that nonproliferation, even at the risk of force, could become US policy and applied consistently from administration to administration ?

If not, what do we really gain from throwing Saddam out of Baghdad if countries like NK, Iran, and maybe eventually Syria have nuclear weapons?

Do you think it is possible that nonproliferation, even at the risk of force, could become US policy and applied consistently from administration to administration ?

i think that is really unlikely to happen due to the nature of politics, especially in a two party system... permanence cannot really happen in terms of government policy because the next party will try to discredit the policies of the previous just as one party will discredit the other today.

If not, what do we really gain from throwing Saddam out of Baghdad if countries like NK, Iran, and maybe eventually Syria have nuclear weapons?

i think its important because many loud messages were sent through this:

1) "you cannot find refuge forever, snuggled comfortably under the arms of the ineptitude of the UN"

2) "even if world opinion is against it and the UN is against it, you are still at risk in your behavior"

3) "people in the middle east dont want to be oppressed any more than people do anywhere else"

4) "popular opinion and 20 year old protestors are not always right and are certainly not always a deterrence... so dont count on this as a deterrence"

5) "just because you manage to put monuments, signs, sculptures and statues everywhere and terrorize people into cheering for you... it does not mean they support you and will not necessarily fight for you"

6) "dictatorships are quickly going out of fashion - and you too, could be 21 days from being out of a job"

7) "cruise missiles and tomohahk missiles can be launched from subs and warships hundreds of miles away and take out your bunker with pin-point accuracy while you are eating breakfast or sleeping"

8) "bunkers dont keep you safe"

9) "elite troops wont keep you safe"

10) "hey man, get your shit together and stop fucking around"

11) "Iran, Syria, N. Korea and others... please pay attention to this like you have never before paid attention to anything in your life"