tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25895867.post8105921759232002191..comments2024-02-27T04:20:08.770-05:00Comments on A Big Fat Slob: The Idiot's TaleA Big Fat Slobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12643815117960627121noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25895867.post-7828661496873588302006-11-15T12:49:00.000-05:002006-11-15T12:49:00.000-05:00IOZ states the case harsher than I.
The problem ...IOZ <A HREF="http://whoisioz.blogspot.com/2006/11/drowning.html">states the case</a> harsher than I. <br /><br />The problem is a forked one: convince the world we know we are culpable and willing to do what it takes to make significant amends, then convince the American people of the necessity of changing, starting now, the USA's role in the world.<br /><br />I said it over at my place a while ago: we can't solve the problem of Iraq without solving the problem of America first. That might take a couple more elections.Will Dividehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17877416158115540051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25895867.post-1733242825655425962006-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:002006-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00I understand the analogy, but with wife beating yo...I understand the analogy, but with wife beating you have a single actor with full responsibility.<br /><br />As a nation, we bear a responsibility for the irresponsible actions of the people we put in charge of the place. <br /><br />I don't suggest anything like staying the course, however.<br /><br />What is going on there is the perfect storm of four forces with sometime complementary and sometime competing imperatives: sectarian civil war, nationalistic push back against American occupation, insurgent Saddam loyalists, and opportunistic aggitators.<br /><br />Rumsfeld's "new army" now lacks the fire- and man-power to control any of these singly (perhaps with the insurgency as an exception). The combined threat is more than even a willing world can adequately handle by force -- even if a forced solution could be stable, a doubtful assumption.<br /><br />I cannot avoid the conclusion that pulling out will leave the "victim" wounded and bleeding by the side of the road, with no hope for life-saving treatment. That is our collective responsiblity.<br /><br />But, if we can somehow repair our dialogue with the world -- the UN and EU, in particular. That can form the basis of discussions with at least some of the sectarian groups.<br /><br />At the same time, if we will only talk to Iran and Syria . . . . They need to be convinced that we are more dedicated to a stable Iraq than to a democratic one, that we are abandoning (at least for this decade) any designs for a democratic revolution in the region, and that we are giving up any thoughts of permanaent occupation. This will be hard work, since nothing we have done or said supports any of these propositions and they all appear at odds with current American policy.<br /><br />If we can give them their required assurances, then they can be important calming forces. At that point, bringing in the Arab League can help bring around the Sunnis.<br /><br />I don't like the notion of an imposed partition -- it assumes that the only issue is sectarian, and it is not. More significantly, I don't see enough of an upside for all of the actors to a straight partition. Even more important, I think the United States now needs to offer more humility and admissions of failure of vision -- let the talks lead us to what works best. <br /><br />I suspect that a form of federalism will be where the mediations lead. But that discussion puts the answer ahead of the question.<br /><br />But, if we are able to convice the states influencing the factions and actors in Iraq that there are mutually-beneficial possibilities of negotiated resolutions, that could dampen the violence coming from the nationalistic and sectarian forces.<br /><br />And, since they overlap, would also do much to make Iraqi participation in insurgent and in outside aggitation much less attractive.<br /><br />I haven't given up hope that a solution is out there, but I remain entirely unconvinced that this current American regime lacks the equipment to understand, or discuss, the problem.A Big Fat Slobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12643815117960627121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25895867.post-81655071650639698092006-11-15T09:42:00.000-05:002006-11-15T09:42:00.000-05:00Alas the Arab League is something of a sham. Parti...Alas the Arab League is something of a sham. Partition makes sense only as the recognition of what will happen anyway and probably won't preclude greater bloodshed.<br /><br />A year ago I agreed with you. Now it's time to go. It is also time for war crimes prosecutions and a national truth and reconciliation tribunal. <br /><br />What we did was an act of unprovoked violence, like wife beating. After something like that there is nothing the perp can do to <i>make it better</i> outside of sincere apology and severe atonement, and staying the fuck away from the victim forever.<br /><br />High-minded policy has no use whatsoever anymore.Will Dividehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17877416158115540051noreply@blogger.com