11-02-2005 20:31									#61
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quote: Originally posted by GePap So I should have said CounterCounterrevolution then? LOTM - you should have simply called them revolutionaries, period. Oh, I love to see how peoples mind's work. Because I am not a cheerleader of revolution in Iran, LOTM - to the point that you call it a counterrevolution, implying that youd rather it didnt happen. because I dislike thisa admin. and the Sharon government LOTM - I think Shimon Peres would also be pleased to see the fall of the Mullahs in Iran. Stop hiding behind the "im just an anti-likudnik" line. I was a supporter of the Israeli Labour party when you were in diapers, I think. I must be teh evil libcommie freedom hater!! OMG!!! LOTM - no just someone whos views of world affairs are heavily influenced by a dislike of US power. A common affliction, apparently. Please. Having grown up a little bit in a slightly repressive (thankfully not too repressive, otherwise my mother would not solely have lost her job for political reasons, but perhaps more) little dictatorship before coming to the US I think I have some idea about the freedoms the US has. LOTM - and perhaps you blame US policy for that little dictatorship. Fine, Im not defending all past US policy in central america. I dont think that excusees some of the things youve said elsewhere though. BUt I also am not running around thinking that happy thoughts mean a damn to real world political aims. A revolt in Iran is irrelevant to whether we want Iran with nukes (and I think any new regime would have more than enough reasons to continue aiming for nukes) and the question other there is what needs to be done policy wise. LOTM - I disagree. An democratic Iran would A. be easire to deal with wrt to the strategic questions that drive it to desire nukes and B. Be less dangerous as a possesor of nukes - for example it would probably not support terrorist groups. Too bad if such cold-hearted considerations displease you. BUt again, that is your problem, not mine. LOTM - straw man. The impact of democratic change is ONE consideration, and the consideration of its real impact does not exclude other considerations.

	12-02-2005 08:28									#62
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quote: "I think you have been wrong in the past" an ad hominem?

The problem is that you are, in your head, replacing the word "think" with the words "know / am sure" - hence you automatically assume I'm wrong, and do not challenge your own ideas.

I admit it is difficult, but I often challenge my ideas when reading something (be it a post or an article or ...) and attempt to 'rebuild' my theory.

I have yet to see you act the same - and I think that your cognitive "lock-up" is preventing you from watching the world from different points of view, and assuming, even for a second, that your assumptions (and that is exactly what most of your views expressed here are) are wrong.

My words, are more often backed with facts, origins of which range from events on the ground to newspapers and other sources.

Lets admit, that having read some reading material, and since i (a) live where the conflict is (b) follow the israeli-palestinian conflict on a closer basis, even if only on the news, i may somehow have more insights than you - an educated person, who lives far away from the conflict, who is not well updated even on public daily occurences, and who sees the world through political glasses, which are not shared neither by most israelis nor by most palestinians (both parties involved).

	12-02-2005 10:04									#63
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not broken yet?

	12-02-2005 12:52									#64
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All this looks very futile to me. Can this new improvement of relations survive an American and/or Israeli showdown with Iran?

I assume that neither Israel nor the States will allow Iran to posses nuclear capability, and at least from the way I read the news there is going to be a military operation. Not an invasion of course, no one has available manpower for that, but a campaign of airstrikes and maybe some commando attacks. Israel probably doesnt have the numbers to execute such an operation so it's up to the US.

But such an attack will happen. Must happen. And then at the very least there will be a very hot front with the Hizballah at the north with a high probability of ground action in Lebanon and a string of terror attacks on Israel from the territories. Can the new peace process survive this?