Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id XAA19303 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 14 Jan 2002 23:48:39 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.222.132] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 18:44:13 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F1581iTDSwLHI1VHt8f00011121@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 14 Jan 2002 23:44:13.0994 (UTC) FILETIME=[5F4FF0A0:01C19D55] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: RE: Knowledge, Memes and Sensory Perception
>Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 08:35:02 -0800
>
><<Slowly, the Bush administration is beginning to see the inconsistencies
>and
>drawbacks of their actions: yesterday, unidentified Whote House 'sources'
>conceded that the US actions in Afghanistan haven't 'won the war on
>terrorism.'>>
>
>Bush said this repeatedly from day one.
>
I don't think anybody expected this to be a short and sweet affair. At
least, for the time being, Afghanistan was the central hub of al-Qaeda
operations and it was known there was a higher likelihood of bin Laden being
there along with his cohorts such as Mullah Omar and the Taliban. al-Qaeda
is like a hydra, lop off one part and others remain, which makes this an
extremely difficult operation, though at least some impact seems to have
been made. I'm not sure the Taliban and al-Qaeda (or even our own miltary)
expected the quick progress made in this venture. Having mujahideen on our
side may have helped immensely.
Hopefully a byproduct will be an improved humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan, though I might be too optimistic.
>
><< Next, I hope, will come the recognition that when something
>fails, doing it harder is not the answer. And then perhaps there will be a
>willingness to think about terrorism intelligently and to design policies
>and actions that will defuse it. But I think it will be several months
>before we get to this point.>>
>
>I'm astounded that anyone could consider the battle we just won in
>Afghanistan a failure. We killed thousands of enemy soldiers, destroyed all
>their bases, and gathered tons of intelligence. What can you be thinking?
>
I'd like to hear some viable peaceful alternatives we could have taken which
would have had the same effects.
If we placated bin Laden and pulled completely out of Saudi and we decided
to give Israel a *much* colder shoulder than we ever have in the past, I
wonder if things would change for the better.
Turkey's ticked off at Saudi over some old Ottoman relict. The secular Arab
governments are disliked by the Islamic fundies. India and Pakistan have
been at the brink. Maybe we should just turn our heads and walk away and
pursue an isolationist agenda.
>
><<Also, in the category of the Bush administration calming down and coming
>to
>its senses, it has now conceded that missile attacks from 'rogue states'
>are
>not the greatest military danger to the US, but that low-grade terrorist
>attacks (e.g. trucks a la Oklahoma city) are. Some analysts have been
>arguing this for months (and some years) and it is nice to see some
>progress.>>
>
>Second time you've used the word "concede" as if everybody didn't know this
>from day one.
>
Gee, I guess China disappeared from the globe and we needn't worry about
them anymore.
>
><<The Bush adminsitration understood little of the
>US role internationally, and next to nothing about the Middle East.>>
>
>With Powell, Rumsfeld, and Bush Sr. in the camp, I doubt there has ever
>been
>an Administration with better understanding.
>
>
Everybody ragged on Bush because of not knowing Musharraf's name (General
General). Bush was coming from dealing with the affairs of a state (Texas).
Not everybody is a foreign affairs expert, but Dubya chose people who were
more familiar than he was regarding foreign policy. I don't think he
expected he would need to get as far into it as has occurred since Sept 11.
It wasn't like Clinton had us all that well prepared for the unexpected
himself.
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