More Middle East Junk

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
The UN is demanding that Israel pull out of Palestinian territory.  My question is:  Or what?  What will the UN do to them?  Kill them?  Kick them out of the club?  What really can they do besides wring their hands and fret?
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
Vraiblonde,

If they don't pull out, Israel might face economic sanctions that could be placed by member nations, Israel could, as you said, be expelled from the UN.  But since we now are saying that they should pull out the Israelis could lose over 3 billion a year in military hardware.  Or, as Larry aptly pointed out, they could face a peacekeeping force pushing them out of the area.  Will it happen, I doubt it, but they are all possible.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
I sure wish we'd get kicked out of the UN.  Think of all the money we'd save!  Not to mention our US troops could finally ditch those silly blue helmets (can you say big target boys and girls?) :crazy:

:moon: the UN!
 

Golden

Member
actually we wouldn't save all that much as we tend to not pay our UN dues (or at least pay them late).  Not only that, but we'd lose a great deal of our stature internationally... & despite what you, I, or bin Laden may feel about globalization, it's gonna be here for a while, & with it the increasing power of such international groups as teh UN & teh EU
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Umm, Golden, I don't think Christy's talking about the <i>dues</i> - she's talking about the billions of $$$ in aid we put up for our fellow UN members, not to mention the military aid we give them AND lives lost fighting their battles.  And what do we get out of the deal?  Nothing, that's what.  Our tax dollars at work.

You're from France, aren't you?
 

Hessian

Well-Known Member
I can't help but think of Great Britain when I look at the Middle East mess.

Consider this,
The Brits (inhabiting a 90 by 300 mile island) managed to dominate North America, India, coastal China, huge portions of Africa, Caribbean isles, Australia, New Zealand etc etc. These area were not empty wastelands...they had indigeneous people who on occasion rebelled (Sepoy, Opium, Boer) and British lads from York, and Leeds, and Warwick saluted their Monarch, sailed off to the unknown and kept the empire going for centuries. How did they pull it off?
Possible answer: Technology, discipline, morale, and especially the awed understanding by those natives that no one messes with their "Great White Father across the Sea that loves his little red/brown/yellow children." British firepower was heavily feared, and those that decided to challenge it faced a foe that was relentless and eventually: victorious.(much of the time!)
So...why can't the US apply those same characteristics in the Philippines, or Iran, or Iraq, or North Korea? Why don't the natives quake when we "Speak softly?"
Its because for years America has shown an over-abundance of patience, 2nd chances, pleadings, dangling gifts & aid in front of them. We don't play real Politik with true force. We don't want to "rock the boat" or be overbearing. and as witnessed by the pathetic Clinton years, a huge portion of the American left loathes the military while staring vaccuosly in the nearest mirror.

The natives have come to expect America to move slowly (like Russia in 1914), they expect us to be very forgiving, they expect months of negotiations and truces. And whether it is Colombian leftists, or Shining Path, or China's 2 million soldiers...we have become VERY predictable, patient, and always playing by the rules.
Guess what, Israel does NOT PLAY BY THOSE RULES!...and they survive, endure and fight back against amazing odds.

If America is to gain the upper hand with the Axis of Evil or Arafat or whatever threatens the world's stability, we have to have the Assertiveness of Britain under Victoria, the Arms of Krupp in Imperial Deutschland, the Surprise of Japan, and the Unity of America on December 8th, 1941

then...the natives will behave
...or die.

:dead:
 

Ken King

A little rusty but not crusty
PREMO Member
Hessian,

You said, “So...why can't the US apply those same characteristics in the Philippines, or Iran, or Iraq, or North Korea? Why don't the natives quake when we "Speak softly?"”

Our soft spoken reactions are reflective of and tempered by the international agreements that we have entered into.  By belonging to the organizations of the world we have stated that we will abide by the rules of intercourse that have been established by those organizations.  That we won’t be imperialistic in act, that when we have a grievance we will take it before the court of world opinion to seek resolution and won’t rely upon violent acts for vindication of the wrong suffered.  It has nothing to do with “rocking the boat”, it has everything to do with acting as we have agreed to do.  This means that we will exhaust diplomatic avenues prior to active military engagement.  

Yes, we are predictable, yes, we are forgiving, and yes, we play by the rules.  These traits are some of what makes us a great nation, one that other nations can count on.  Sure we could be the world’s bully, but is that what we should be?  You go on to say that, “Guess what, Israel does NOT PLAY BY THOSE RULES!... and they survive, endure and fight back against amazing odds.”  And finally we are speaking out against their failure to follow the rules, telling them to pull out of the territory that they currently are occupying illegally.  We are telling them that they must abide by the rules that they have agreed to just as we do.  What they are doing is wrong and for a change we have sided with the rest of the world in saying that they need to stop.

What you fail to realize is that we already have the upper hand.  That is why those that have recently attacked us have gone after the soft underbelly and have not taken their battle directly at us.  We do not need to act like the imperialistic British or Germans of days gone by or the cowardly Japanese with sneak attacks.  We will let you know when we are coming to swat you, give you a chance to have a change of heart and failing that they will then suffer the wrath that our military can unleash upon those that dare attack us.  That is a strength and not a weakness.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
Golden, that's what we have Ted Turner for, to pay our UN dues!  Geesh!  Isn't Ted Turner from France? :twitch:  Nope, just my wishful thinking.  He sure does act like it though!  ;)
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
And here goes this butthead again...
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=282722

With marsh reeds and stones, no less!  See, Ken?  <i>Somebody</i> likes the Palestinians!
 

jimmy

Drunkard
Yeah Saddam is such a pr*ck...I really can't think of another way to put it.  But have any of you heard stories about his son Uday? Luckily, as the above article points out, he's being replaced by his younger brother, but this guy was a PSYCHO...made Daddy look like a Priest...well...maybe not the best analogy in light of recent events...but you get the idea.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
Jimmy, I'd be a prick too if my family named me Uday! :roflmao:

Sorry, I'm just in one of those kinda moods today! :twitch:  I think it must be the emoticon!
 
Y

yornoc

Guest
jimmy on 4:19 pm on April 8, 2002[br]Yeah Saddam is such a pr*ck...I really can't think of another way to put it.  But have any of you heard stories about his son Uday? Luckily, as the above article points out, he's being replaced by his younger brother, but this guy was a PSYCHO...made Daddy look like a Priest...well...maybe not the best analogy in light of recent events...but you get the idea.

I think "PSYCHO" is putting it mildly!
 

jimmy

Drunkard
Probably, yornoc. I mean if even HALF the stories I've heard about Uday's various exploits are true, he's gotta be one of the worst people alive...torturing young women that he wants to date, shooting his enemies in the face and killing their families etc...just wrong, wrong, stuff...
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Uday's crowning achievement was when he tortured the Iraqi soccer team because they lost their game.
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
Y'all quit being so darned judgemental of Uday! :nono: I mean jeesh!  It is quite obvious his mental state is a direct result of U.S. opression.  I bet if we just stopped bullying his father and his country, he'd be courting the ladies like a nice, well mannered gentleman and taking out the soccer team for a few well earned beers.  :cheers:  

:twitch:
 
Y

yornoc

Guest
vraiblonde on 12:03 pm on April 9, 2002[br]Uday's crowning achievement was when he tortured the Iraqi soccer team because they lost their game.

Geez!  I didn't even hear this story!  Sounds like a spoil brat to me.
 

Golden

Member
doesn't he have another son too.  Maybe Uday is just the black sheep & the other kid is an angel who does nothing but cure lepers & give candy to homeless children...sorry, I was just attempting to play devils advocate here, but couldn't even make it through without the sarcasm showing
 
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