Timber
Timber, I remember your earlier post and agreed with you that Bush was going to destablize the entire Middle East.
BBB
I submit, BBB, you present a straw man in that never have I made any such statement or implication as that to which you imply and to which you claim to have been in agreement, and I submit further you perpetrate a falsehood in that no comment of yours, confirmatory or otherwise, is to be found in the specifically referrenced discussion.
I submit yet further your manner of interaction in this particular discussion and in many similar reveals your position re the matters at hand to be characterized by that psychopathology popularly known as Bushophobia. A common failing attributable to uncritical thinking is that of oversimplifying complex circumstance chains, imparting to a given individual or group sole and proximate responsibility for circumstances of which said individual or group are but components.
As The Bard wrote, "There are more things in earth and heaven than dreamt in your philosophy."
Timber
Timber, huh?
My comment was in referense to part of your post: "The "Nations" of which the Middle Easterner may find himself citizen are essentially Western Constructs, imposed on diverse ethno-cultural groups which have deepseated, longstanding differences, without regard to the societies affected by the arbitrary borders. The matter of "What is to become of The Ottoman Empire" has yet to be settled.
The real threat in this situation is widespread instability in the region, the collapse of governments, the fragmentation of nations, ongoing power struggles and alliegience shifts."
I agree with this. In fact, I have repeately stated similar opinions in posts of my own.
So, what is your beef?
BBB
Re: Timber
BBB wrote: Timber ... So, what is your beef?
you wrote:Timber, I remember your earlier post
Stipulated: I have no basis by which to agree or disagree with that part.
However, going on, you wrote: and agreed with you that Bush was going to destablize the entire Middle East.
Which part specifically and precisely is that on which I called you, for the reasons I detailed.
I offer once again The Bard; "There are more things in earth and heaven than dreamt in your philosophy."
timber wrote:
Quote:I offer once again The Bard; "There are more things in earth and heaven than dreamt in your philosophy."
Well, probably true for all of us, that. But your 2002 "avalanche" metaphor is a bit ambiguous. And although the rest of your post looks very good from this perspective, its not at all clear that that avalanche you were suggesting hasn't roared down the wrong side of the mountain rather than the one hoped for.
And I can't really let you off the hook on your Bushophobe thing without allowing for it's opposite - Bush apologist.
Re: Timber
timberlandko wrote:BBB wrote: Timber ... So, what is your beef?
you wrote:Timber, I remember your earlier post
Stipulated: I have no basis by which to agree or disagree with that part.
However, going on, you wrote: and agreed with you that Bush was going to destablize the entire Middle East.
Which part specifically and precisely is that on which I called you, for the reasons I detailed.
I offer once again The Bard; "There are more things in earth and heaven than dreamt in your philosophy."
Ok, I see what you object to. I therefore change my sentence to delete "Bush" and replace it with Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy was going to destablize the entire Middle East.
Feel better now?
BBB
It seems to me that the destabilization of the ME took place a long time before Bush was even born, back to Ishmael.
From AP
Quote: Besides the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gates faces other immediate challenges. One is the Army's proposal that it be allowed to grow by tens of thousands of soldiers, given the strains it is enduring from the two wars. Rumsfeld had resisted increasing the size of the Army or the Marine Corps; Gates' view is unknown.
I'm not a military person, but growing the Army via recruiting would be my preference over using reserves and guards needed at home.
Of course, my number one preference would be for there to be no need for more troops. (Extending Snood and Timber's holiday well wishes)
Squinney
Squinney, I'm with you on that. Unfortunately, I think we need to increase our number of troops. We are on the cusp of a great unsettling throughout the world, especially in the Third World countries as they move through the painful steps to modernation to avoid being failed states.
Changes in societies moved at a much slower pace in the past. Science and technology are forcing these cultures to advance at a rapid rate, which is a very difficult process for people. It almost requires population generational change to make progress. The world is changing so fast that it leaves the Luddites in great distress and dislocation.
The Middle East oil states are probably having the greatest difficulty. Oil has brought them wealth sooner than their societies can adjust to the modern world. This is reflected in the demand to turn back social time over 1,000 years by the radical Islamists.
BBB
