Time to retire Helen

[idlewind]

reality is that we backstop the nightmare with blood and money. why is that?

It is called self interest. Israel is a fairly reliable ally in a region where those are hard to come by. In fact you can count America's reliable allies on one hand. You back your friends, period.

 

[Lake View Too]

It is called self interest. Israel is a fairly reliable ally in a region where those are hard to come by. In fact you can count America's reliable allies on one hand. You back your friends, period.

Here's a partial list of friends we've backed in the past: Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein, Manual Norriega... not too good a track record...

 

[idlewind]

Here's a partial list of friends we've backed in the past: Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein, Manual Norriega... not too good a track record...

The world is not a nice place in large areas. One of Bush's faults was that he thought he could transplant American ideals and political systems to other countries. That is just not practical. Does anyone seriously think the Shah was not preferable to the mullahs? He was oppressive in many ways but he was trying to bring Iran into the modern era. At least women did not have to wear drapes. And he was a reliable friend to the US. Since we helped engineer his demise can anyone say the Iranian people are better off? And then we had to turn to saddam to help keep the mullahs in check. At least when he and Manual went too far we took them out.
In foreign affairs you help those who help you. When we meddle in their internal affairs we tend to get in trouble.

 

[Lake View Too]

The world is not a nice place in large areas. One of Bush's faults was that he thought he could transplant American ideals and political systems to other countries. That is just not practical. Does anyone seriously think the Shah was not preferable to the mullahs? He was oppressive in many ways but he was trying to bring Iran into the modern era. At least women did not have to wear drapes. And he was a reliable friend to the US. Since we helped engineer his demise can anyone say the Iranian people are better off? And then we had to turn to saddam to help keep the mullahs in check. At least when he and Manual went too far we took them out.
In foreign affairs you help those who help you. When we meddle in their internal affairs we tend to get in trouble.

What has Israel done for us lately? We are dispised by most of the middle east, and a great deal of it has to do with Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Is this in our best interest?

 

[Bob]

It is called self interest. Israel is a fairly reliable ally in a region where those are hard to come by. In fact you can count America's reliable allies on one hand. You back your friends, period.

friends don't act to the detriment of the other partner. we are being used.