leejo

I haven't accused anyone of being less than honest. I think you honestly dislike the President and are biased against anything that resembles his position. That isn't to say that you occasionally overcome your bias, as most people do, and admit that one with whom you tend to disagree can be correct on occasion.

And what's the difference between your replying to a post that quotes the Weekly Standard by merely saying it is a right-wing biased journal that supports the President, and my saying that you are biased against the President? You agree with the former and the latter hurts your feelings?

I'm talking about human nature and you seem to demand that we pretend those things don't exist. I am still waiting to see your plan for dealing with Iran that involves more than criticizing the President's stated positions or calling me an ad hominem attacker. You know what I think about what needs to happen, what do you think?

Switchcraft

Cing made my point for me. North Korea is also a different tactical situation, and carries a much bigger stick, as well as China as its babysitter. The situations are not comperable.

Steeler

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SmokingTarpan

Iran and Israel aren't next door neighbors, so of course their people don't mix as much as the Koreas. However, the impression that I get is that N. Korea isn't exactly done with the war over there. Hell, technically the war never really ended. If not for the fact that the US was allied with S. Korea, I wouldn't doubt that there would be (or would have already been) an invasion in the works.


Oh, I see. So it's okay to back down from a stance when you can't easily beat down the opposition. There's some values for ya.

I'm not even approaching this from a "we should invade them" stance; I'm against military action. Before N. Korea declared it had nuclear capability (and a weapon), the topic was in the news and discussed by the administration pretty regularly. As soon as N. Korea flipped the international community the bird and did what it wanted anyway, well, we don't hear about the situation much anymore. Rather odd, if you ask me.

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xTYBALTx

Iran may present us with a cleaner military option than North Korea, but by most accounts is still a long ways from being what I consider acceptable.

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CingularDuality

China.

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SmokingTarpan

I reiterate my earlier statement. :P

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CingularDuality

How is that backing down from a stance? When a fly ball is popped up to left center, and the left fielder and the center fielder are both running to catch it, one of them MUST back off or things get ugly. We backed off and let China handle their bastard stepchild. China didn't do too well.

What's your point?

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Steeler

The unpleasant truth is that very little of what any nation does in international relations is based on higher values or morals. We may tell ourselves that what we do is in the interests of our highests ideals, but it is all about manuevering for greatest personal gain. It has always been thus for every nation, including ours.

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Eggplant999

Hahahaha I love that paragraph. I remember some articles about china threatening to cut off some fuel (oil) from north korea if it didn't behave, however I can't find anything now.

I'd think it goes along with the sentiment that america does first what is politically best for the current administration, then next they do what is economically best for the country/corporations.

AMosely

xTYBALTx

A timely editorial from the current issue of Atlantic Monthly:

Editorial form current issue on Iran.

Wargame from December 2004. Conducted by Atlantic Monthly and referenced in this issue's editorial. An interesting read in itself.

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icky

I just wanted to throw a small point in here, although this whole thing is pretty far off topic.

A government is voted into power based on the majority (defined in various ways) of the people of the country preferring them and their policies to the alternatives. Once in power, they do things which they believe the majority of the country supports, using their success so far as an indicator. Why is it that a government gets accused of doing something wrong when they try to follow this formula? It is the way democracies are meant to work. You want the government to be trying to make people happy.

It is a side effect that they use the quickest and cheapest ways of making people happy. Rather than calling them out for being motivated by politics, you should stick to more sensible criticisms. ALL politicians are motivated by politics.

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SmokingTarpan

I would disagree somewhat on this. I would say that a significant portion of politicians campaign on policies that will get them votes and put them into office, but then ditch said policies in favor of their own agendas (or the agendas of the "important" supporters). I remember that one of the main points of the Bush Sr. campaign was "Read my lips: no new taxes", and we all saw how that worked out. I even supported that guy, heh.

You claim that the government attempts to do what the majority of the country wishes to do. By that formula, we were correct in going to Iraq. Also by that formula, we should no longer be there. The government is all about doing what it thinks is right, rather than what the majority desires. This is sometimes good and sometimes bad, but isn't necessarily representative of a true democracy in which the people decide the fate of a country via vote. Perhaps if politicians were more honest and true to their causes rather than playing a to the temporary popularity contest, I'd have more faith in the republic government system. However, we only get to see what a politician really thinks after they get in the door.

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