"Today Saudi Arabia, tomorrow the world. "

[arisbe]

Then, suddenly, the US has faced the limits of its own power, and the realization that the world cannot be treated as a huge prison with the US as sole warden. Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone, and let people go about their own business. Not every citizen of the world needs to be staring down the barrel of a US gun in order to behave. It is possible to unload and lower the gun, even put it away. The world will not fall apart.

Comments

Terrorists?

[arisbe.livejournal.com]

I ain't afraid of no terrorists. I'm afraid of da Gummint.

Wasn't no terrorists crashed the World Trade Center. Was Nixon's OSHA. Forbade the use of asbestos even in projects already under construction. If the Towers had been built according to the architect's plans or even the City building code (State properties are exempt) they would be standing today. They way they were constructed, any big fire would have caused a collapse.

As for withdrawal, it would have been disastrous to do it other than from a position of strength.

The big issue between the Arabs and us is Israel. And the Arabs are right. Our blank check support for the most reckless Israeli faction enrages the world -- and may doom Israel. Maybe from a position of strength Mr. Bush can apply effective pressure there. If he does I will vote for him.

Unless the domestic police state is too loathsome. (The terriorist squad terrorized the patrons of an Indian restaurant in midtown last week. What if I had been there with my wife? What if she didn't have her green card with her? What if I were on some database of Vietnam dissenters or fans of Middle Eastern dance or supporters of Father Elias Chacour?)

Perhaps the best we can hope for is a Republican President and a Democratic Congress, one with enough votes (or Republican crossovers) to repeal the PATRIOT Law.

It is not so hard to get into the mind of a terrorist. Have you seen Michael Collins? The Battle of Algiers?

[grashupfer.livejournal.com]

History suggests that the mortal enemies of Israel, of whom our present-day Arabs surely fit in, end up on the ash pile of history. And recent history suggests Arab states are like those fluffy dry dandelion seeds ready to be blown away by the lightest breeze. I wouldn't lose any sleep over Israel's fate.

According to the prophets

[arisbe.livejournal.com]

God uses just such enemies to punish Israel, though they do tend to blow away in the wind soon after.

I hate to see my own country lead Israel further away from the path of righteousness.

They have suffered enough.

The ashpile image bothers me, as I associate it with Trotsky, whose intellectual heirs have corrupted both Jerusalem and Washington.

Re: According to the prophets

[grashupfer.livejournal.com]

But ash is the appropriate image, for ash is a trace of something once organic and alive. A trace we might want to forget, but that lingers.