From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun 10 Nov 2002 - 03:54:54 GMT
> > > >
> > >I disagree. Multilateralism and consensus has been sought, and
> > >gained, by the US on three different levels; in the US Congress, with
> > >the elected representatives and senators, in the mid-term elections,
> > >where the US voters' voices have been heard, and in the UN security
> > >Council, where the US mightily labored for the consensus it finally
> > >achieved. Whatever happens now with Iraq, no one can credibly claim
> > >that the Bush administration has not strived diligently for
> > >multilateral cooperation on the issue.
> > > >
> > Funny, I got the impression that Bush was being dragged through that
> > process kicking and screaming all the way. The compromises he came
> > away with were forced on him by the other members of the Security
> > Council rather than being his first choice and what he really wanted
> > to do. And he still holds the position that he can ignore them all
> > and do what he wants to if he doesn't like the outcome of the
> > compromises. Meanwhile, we're moving ahead as if we expect war to be
> > the only alternative.
> >
>Bush's cowboyish ifnya-don't-go-with-me-I'll-go-it-alone persona has
>served the cause of peace well. Without it, there would neither have
>benn a chance for a UN Iraqi resolution, nor would there be the
>slightest chance that Saddam would submit to its conditions. Bush has
>made the threat appear credible in the only way that it could be
>credible; by actually meaning it, and with many good and clearly
>enunciated reasons, and the fact that everyone knows he means it, and
>why, may be the only thing that does avoid war. It's in Saddam's court
>now.
> >
> > Grant
> >
I admit that from a strategy point of view, that makes sense. The only
problem I have with it is that it seems too smart for G.W. Maybe Condy came
up with it. Or, more likely, Colin Powell, who has a more personal
knowledge of Saddam than most people, having matched wits with him before.
Like I said in a previous post, I have no way to really know what is going
on inside the beltway. I'm too far away and the reports coming out are too
biased. It all sounds like a story written in alternate chapters by Lewis
Carroll and Tolkien. If they make it into a movie they can steal the title,
"Gods and Monsters." I don't see any way it can come out looking like "The
West Wing."
Cheers,
Grant
_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sun 10 Nov 2002 - 03:58:23 GMT