General non-MG related discussions. No politics here please!!
I read in the paper this morning about human rights and fiscal policy changes in Saudi Arabia and Libya. I would like to think maybe we will start to see changes starting to move away from the tribe and family and to the people. Very positive steps if they can do it without a revolution who senses weakness in the Leadership. Now we have to make sure we don't do something to upset the momentum.
John, staying out of it will only return it to the chaos is has been for so long. It was the huge leap into the battle that has started the changes.
Pussy footing around the edges for 50 years got us to where we were in 2000. It is that point we don't want to go back to.
I think the question is how and where do we stay involved. They need help and can not do it on their own. They just don't have the structure.
I truly do not believe the average citizen in the Middle East and North Africa want to continue to live as they have since 1952.
I agree that the rulers and their henchmen do and I believe the fundamentalist religious leaders do, but not the average citizen.
John Hamilton Wrote:
Richard,
If we get involved, one side or the other will blame us for their failure. We're already mistrusted around the world, and we have enough problems here at home to keep us busy for quite a while. Let the UN step in and take the lead, isn't that what they were intended to do?
Let's keep out of this one for a change and see how it turns out for everyone.
Maybe we should put our own house in order before we start offering advice and support to other countries.....but that's just me....
I think we are goingto find out which is the best way in the next 4 or 8 years. There is no question the current administration agrees with those who want to stay out. We will know if that was right. It could be more expensive in many ways if we are wrong but I would guess everyone will say we gave it a shot.
Iraq is winding down; but Pakistan is almost overrun by the Taliban and Muslim extremists. Anyone see 60 minutes last Sunday?
Get Afghanistan on the right track and then get ALL our troups home from all around the world. We need to take care of #1, stop foreign aid as it is handed out so freely today, protect our borders, and quit trying to save every little country that is in conflict. Did we not learn from VietNam that whatever is going to happen will be, once we leave? I believe in fighting people who are determined to do us harm and I don't mind taking it to their back yard instead of here; but we cannot save the world. Not everyone thinks like we do and we are not changing everyone's mind...Muslim extremists for one, and they number in the millions. If they want to keep their women in veils, and don't give them equal rights because of their religion, then let it be. We are not changing their beliefs...
60 Minutes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/13/60minutes/main4800926.shtml
What I was getting at about VietNam is we were trying to establish a puppet government there and as soon as we pulled out, the communists took over Saigon.
So what was it all for??? I spent a year of my life there and say useless loss of life, and for what?