dagblog - Comments for "War Everlasting"

US bases on foreign soil

we are stardust — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:44:33 +0000

US bases on foreign soil coupled with a large American presence correlate with a sharp increase in suicide bombings aimed at Americans, says a new book by Robert Pape and James Feldman called Cutting the Fuse: The Explosion of Global Suicide Terrorism and How to Stop It.

Steve Clemons from New America Foundation explains it.

Hm. You really do think we

Obey — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:43:45 +0000

In reply to I don't find it offensive as

Hm. You really do think we all are retarded, don't you? I'm not saying that the solution to the Kashmir standoff is easy to bring about. I'm saying the moves involved in pushing the Indians and the Pakistanis towards normalized relations - gathering trusted third parties like China for Pakistan and the EU and Russia, deciding on confidence building measures, better govt to govt crisis communication, etc - are pretty self-evident. That is how I understood your question. The Kashmir situation is of course difficult. But the lack of movement is partly due to international indifference. And even if no final agreement is reached, having the US making moves on behalf of Pakistan on stuff Pakistan cares about matters greatly, and reducing the threat of India, however marginally makes a difference on the degree to which Pakistan sides with the US against Al Qaeda.

As for American racism. I don't think it is controversial that Americans are by and large indifferent to the loss of life amongst Arabs and Persians and Pakistanis. Would there be greater concern if they were white, Christian or Jewish? In my opinion CLEARLY yes. Their race is part of their Otherness. You seem to want to call that racism. I'd prefer to limit that term to the ideologically grounded hatred of Arabs that you get for instance with Marty Peretz. If anyone said about Jews the things he says about Arabs, that person would be regarded as a dangerous extremist. Peretz on the other hand is feted at Harvard. Imo it is not that Americans in general are racist, but anti-arab/muslim racism is a perfectly acceptable viewpoint even amongst the beltway elite.

The Woodward interview is up

we are stardust — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:12:35 +0000

In reply to War Everlasting

The Woodward interview is up on Charlie Rose now:

http://www.charlierose.com/

I don't find it offensive as

Elusive Trope — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:45:06 +0000

In reply to How to push for normalized

I don't find it offensive as much as it seemed to imply that racism was the driving force for why America is over there doing what it is doing - get the brown people. To assert that would be contrary to your assertion that your comment is not controversial. (which is not to say that there aren't racists and racism in the military and decision-making positions of government) I think it would be a stronger argument for understanding why the general public has a greater tolerance for the carnage as a result of racism and religious bigotry as was seen in New York recently.

And if solving the Kashmir situation wasn't rocket science, I believe in my humble opinion, given the nuclear weapons at risk of coming into the play, the global community would have already found a solution. From what I have read, it seems to me that Kashmir is about as contentious as the Israel Palenstine conflict in terms of neither side willing to budge, and willing to escalate the situation as soon as they see it somehow in their interest.

This dystopic, post-nuclear

we are stardust — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:43:57 +0000

In reply to "...cliches...refrain...respe

This dystopic, post-nuclear Armageddon gem is a propos. Peace to us all.

A politician is in heaven

AmericanDreamer — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:35:30 +0000

In reply to The other side of the coin

A politician is in heaven when both sides of this coin are aligned with his or her position. But when the interest side is against the policy, it usually requires a healthy majority of the constituents to be in favor before the politician will buck the special interests. Which is why the base closures is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

I think that's accurate. It describes the situation on issue after issue, whether it's HCR, financial reform, campaign finance reform, etc. DR, in Articleman's thread reviewing Woodward's book, makes a related point (the comment which quinn and I praised), coming at it from somewhat the opposite perspective from you (he effectively asks "what stops us from doing the sensible thing? whereas you ask "how could we overcome the array of forces that prevent these sensible things from being done?")

Many of us here and at the cafe and well-known commentators have lamented the absence of a, or several, progressive movements strong enough to get politicians to pay attention. I wish I had an answer as to what makes the difference in going from good intentions to generating traction. As an individual I tell myself to stay alert, look for opportunities to contribute something positive on issues that seem strategically important, make sure I am doing something and not just letting myself be paralyzed by how daunting the tasks are, keep plugging, you never know when a brushfire will turn into a bonfire but it's more likely to happen if each of us is doing something rather than nothing. I'm just one person and don't know what else to tell myself, and do.

"...cliches...refrain...respe

we are stardust — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:29:16 +0000

In reply to Most of what is on the

"...cliches...refrain...respect..." LOL!

The other reminds me of a song! Damn; do we need a song!

Most of what is on the

AmericanDreamer — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:21:57 +0000

In reply to You're welcome, Dreamer.

Most of what is on the internet is not well-grounded factually, is not original (what really is original? not a whole lot), is not meant to be thoughtful or constructive, or some combination of those.

That doesn't mean there's nothing worth reading and thinking about, nothing worthwhile, no possibilities for positive change that can be incubated or facilitated through the internet and the ability to publish whatever one wishes. It's a tool. It's whatever we make and don't make of it. It's an opportunity, that's all. Both blogosphere triumphalism and denigration bore me. It isn't any one thing.

You're right that free, independent thought is by far the greatest danger to misguided or corrupt policies. And every attempt to change the world that was hopeless, but eventually succeeded, started out as...hopeless. The real death of hope would come if people such as you and others here were to stop thinking and searching and questioning. Out of all that comes, sometimes and miraculously, possibility. Journey of a thousand miles and all. If I can think of any other cliches to put out there I probably will refrain from doing that out of respect for this audience.

The other side of the coin

Elusive Trope — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:13:51 +0000

In reply to "Political viability" refers

The other side of the coin has to why it would mean they are able to keep my job - and that is there buy-in from their "constituents." This is itself a two-sided coin with the general voting public on one side (i.e. the ones that actually vote) and the big money special interest supports on the other side. A politician is in heaven when both sides of this coin are aligned with his or her position. But when the interest side is against the policy, it usually requires a healthy majority of the constituents to be in favor before the politician will buck the special interests. Which is why the base closures is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

In a withdrawal from Afghanistan, I think there can be developed a messaging outlining the points you talked about so that it generates the "political will" to make a withdrawal necessary. (Or come clean and say they're there because their trying to keep Pakistan stable which is the real reason in mho)

Well, write the damned

we are stardust — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:10:45 +0000

In reply to "Political viability" refers

Well, write the damned speech, Dreamer!!! Post it!!!

(I'm sure we'll all be happy to give it a grade, or add to it!) LOL! But I am sick of the vialbility trope; sometimes we just to have to yell the truth as we see it out. Mr. Smith goes to Washington, etc.) People just keep yawning, otherwise.