JohnRich 4 #101 May 17, 2005 QuoteQuoteWell, when evil happens, everyone clamors for the U.S. to "do something" as the world's superpower. And then when we do step in to help, everyone tells us to "butt out". What evil are you talking about? Pick one: Starvation. Disease. Natural disaster. War. Tyranny. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alias 0 #102 May 18, 2005 QuoteQuoteI think he means we should never have supported him to begin with. Of course, at the time (1980's) we weren't supporting him specifically, we AND the Arab group later to become "Al Quaeda" were both giving support to the Afghans to fight off the Soviets. Bingo! It's odd that Darius didn't bother to mention that little fact. Given the choice at the time, it was a good move. We were trying to help them stay independent from Soviet domination, just as we are now trying to make them independent from Muslim extremism. What will we "help" them be next? Independent from whatever we decide they deserve independence from? That is the problem with US foreign policy according to many people I speak with that live outside of the US. Level headed people Again back to "aid" We do seem to always paint a pretty picture in front of our motives don't we? Carpe Diem Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #103 May 18, 2005 QuoteDid Abe Lincoln have a rich Daddy? non sequitur... money was not the requirement it is today to political affluence... GWB is simply mediocre in nearly everything he does, and appeals to the lowest common denominator... and THAT is how you get elected in modern politics...by fooling the most people most of the time…actual ability has little to do with anything in politics, it's simply a popularity / name recognition contest… ____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #104 May 18, 2005 QuoteQuoteQuoteWell, when evil happens, everyone clamors for the U.S. to "do something" as the world's superpower. And then when we do step in to help, everyone tells us to "butt out". What evil are you talking about? Pick one: Starvation. Disease. Natural disaster. War. Tyranny. starvation, disease, and natural disaster are hardly 'evil' and we as a country only interfere in War and Tyranny when it is in our best interest to do so...____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhino 0 #105 May 18, 2005 QuoteIf we know someone is a bad person like OBL, or Sadam. Do you honestly think we KNEW they were BAD as you say when we were "supporting" them? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #106 May 18, 2005 QuoteDo you honestly think we KNEW they were BAD as you say when we were "supporting" them? Yes. But it was the theory of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". They served a geopolitical purpose at the time. Every country with any kind of foreign involvement and interests does it in form or the other. It always seems to come back and bite us in the ass though. "For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crozby 0 #107 May 18, 2005 QuoteDo you honestly think we KNEW they were BAD as you say when we were "supporting" them? Absolutely. The US government has donated up to 90 million dollars a year to the Uzbekistan regime and in return they get an air base there. They know full well that people have been boiled to death at the detention centres there. It was only when the human rights abuses were brought to the fore by other human rights groups that the US government scaled back their 'aid'. And there are other plenty of other instances of this kind of US foreign policy. Edit to add: Plenty of governments engage in shady foreign policy, this isn't a USA bash. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darius11 12 #108 May 18, 2005 QuoteQuoteIf we know someone is a bad person like OBL, or Sadam. Do you honestly think we KNEW they were BAD as you say when we were "supporting" them? Yes we did. OBL had the same belief system woman were still being abused. Sadam Used Chemical weapons on Innocent Iranians during the Iran and Iraq war. I don’t know about you but any one willing to use chemical weapons especially on innocent children is bad in my book.I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #109 May 18, 2005 QuoteQuoteWe were trying to help them stay independent from Soviet domination, just as we are now trying to make them independent from Muslim extremism. What will we "help" them be next? Independent from whatever we decide they deserve independence from? That is the problem with US foreign policy... So you propose a "fuck 'em all" foreign policy? When an independent nation is invaded, we should just sit back and do nothing? We should abandon our treaty alliances in things like NATO? Fuck Taiwan! Fuck South Korea! Fuck Japan! Fuck Germany! Fuck the Serbs and Bosnians! Fuck all of Europe! Yeehaw! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
