(TV) Re: OT: You know, reading this list hasn't been half as fun since last Tuesday...

["Philip P. Obbard" <pobbard@yahoo.com>]

Michael, I assume you're being sarcastic. 25% of Afghanistan is starving, and
they've suffered two decades of warfare. If this ended with Afghanistan looking
like Japan or Germany due to a US occupation, that would be a good long-term
scenario. Neither of those countries harbor people who fly planes into
buildings regularly, nor are they full of huge masses of starving people. But
obviously, there are no plans for the US to actively rehabilitate Afghanistan
(or Iraq, or any country who can be connected with these attacks) - we'll just
bomb, leave, and wait for the next attack on our country. Notice how we're
refusing to negotiate with them, saying it's "time for action", etc. This
forces Afghanistan into a corner. The current administration has decided on
war, much as Bush Sr. did in 1990, and they think any negotiation is a sign of
weakness. This forces us into a corner. 

(Keith, don't take this the wrong way, but of course the UK has a role in this
too - as the US's "junior partner" (the words of a British diplomat after WW2,
not mine!) we tend to move in tandem on who we help, hurt, or bomb. In recent
history, Iraq is the best example, but Thatcher certainly supported the
anti-Soviet resistance in Afghanistan in the 1980s. If you want to voice
dissent against the build-up, you can start at home. If the UK would not
support our current course, you can bet we'll soften our tone).

I'm not saying the bad guys shouldn't be punished/eliminated. Of course they
should, as quickly as possible. I just don't want to see us inflicting the
civilian casualties I see in my city on another city; two wrongs won't make
this right.

--Philip

--- Michael Olcsvary <olcsvary@icehouse.net> wrote:
> Come to think of it, the worst thing to happen to Afghanistan would be for
> us to come in and stomp the country flat (given it's current condition and
> allowing for a lack of nuclear and biological weapons - something that's by
> no means certain - it might take a weekend if no one breaks for lunch),
> since historically, after we do stomp someone flat, we help them rebuild -
> and thoroughly change the culture in the process.  I wonder if the Taliban
> has considered the ramifications of a Starbucks or McDonald's in Kabul


__________________________________________________
Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help?
Donate cash, emergency relief information
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/
--------------
To post: Mail tv@obbard.com
To unsubscribe: Mail majordomo@obbard.com with message "unsubscribe tv"