posted
I believe that our country has failed to win the war. And what is worse, the NATO alliance has been damaged, maybe beyond the point of recovery by the war. For me, the government of the United States seems to be paralyzed by the events of the Vietnam War. We don't want to commit ourselves to a war if there are to be "American casualities". This strikes me as being a point between involvement and isolationism. I have a last question-is America fighting this war for the Muslim Kosovars or for another reason? I believe that if we were fighting for the Muslim Kosovars, America and NATO would have ground troops in that part of the world. Our reluctance in this war is repeating the shame of the SS Liberty-a ship sent by Adolf Hitler to America in 1938 ferrying Jews. The ship was denied port rights and was turned back. All Jews aboard the ship were killed. (There are moments when I agree with our enemies. Our country is full of bullshit and our moral and ethical principles are non existent. To confuse nations and people, America bullies lesser nations like Iraq and Serbia. Pres. Clinton is leaving the nation with a terrible legacy and history. I don't believe history will view this president or his legacy highly.) I have lost faith with the Clinton presidency and the Republican congress. I am hoping the next president and congress will show more courage in facing a dictator like Milosevic of Yugoslavia or, even better (if they are to duplicate the Kosovo War) to admit that America has no interest in that conflict and stay out.
IP: Logged
quote:Genocide is wrong. And if it means violating International Law to prevent it, then International Law be damned. We are saying to the world the Holocaust will not happen again.
That is why the war is being fought. To prevent genocide.
------------------ "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us" -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV
Orion Syndicate
He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!
Member # 25
posted
Well put. I agree that the strategies used in fighting this war are dubious, especially not deploying ground troops. The excuse to go in to Kosovo was to stop the humanitarian crisis - fat lot of good that did the Kosovars!
They don't want any casualties. I think that the moment they decided that this would be their strategy, they lost the war. I admit that civilians should not be harmed, and the deathtoll on our own side needs to be minimised, but to fight a war where absolutely no serviceman/woman can die is foolish and self defeating.
The NATO alliance needs a new strategy because in this, their 50th birthday, they have probably suffered their worst embarassment.
------------------ The public is wonderfully tolerant - it forgives everything except Genius.
posted
Well, NATO is dealing with Kosovo essentially because it wants to. It's perfectly reasonable for it to not want any casualties.
Sometimes, death is inevitable, but at least you can try to decide who's going to die.
------------------ http://frankg.dgne.com/ "[Steve Jobs] shouts at his employees a lot, using language you can't use on TV, not even on UPN." - Andy Ihnatko
posted
Simply put, BS they are doing it for the people. It's part of a long term geostrategic plan of encirclement and control of global resources and the destruction of ones enemies. The Serbs just got in the way, so they have been conveniently anulled.
July 14? I'll make a note. OOh, I have an exam on July 14.
------------------ 'Sir, you've been ordered not to take Polermo'
'Ring General HQ, ask them if they want me to give it back'.
posted
The problem here is that a democracy is a problematic way to run a country. As soon as NATO soldiers start coming home in body bags public opinion will probably turn against involvement in Kosovo, so political leaders have to choose the option with the fewest casualties, which is exclusively an air war. Somewhere somebody calculated that the political fallout from collateral damage in Yugoslavia and the inevitable mistakes (one plane bombed a refugee convoy by mistake, another hit a marketplace with a cluster bomb, and of course the bombing of the Chinese embassy) would be more manageable than trying to occupy Yugoslav territory.
The problem is an air war takes a long time, but I would say it is now beginning to have its desired effects. Work is proceeding on a diplomatic solution (even the Russians are participating now), and I hear on the news this morning that a partial withdraw of Serb troops has been ordered. This will work in the end, but it will take time, perserverence, and unfortunately, many casualties in Yugoslavia.
As for any underlying strategy, who knows? I doubt it, since elected officials rarely look past their own terms when making plans. The Balkans, of course, are next door to Europe, and a long war there could destabilize Europe.
P.S. *feel like I missed something while absent from forum* July 14? Anything special about this date? (Well, at least I'll have seen Phantom Menace by then )
------------------ "Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you." -Commander Riker, USS Enterprise
posted
So, let's see...how many times has the world ended now?
Nostradamus said that the WW3 would come back in 1993. Hmmm...nothing happened...
The Myans said that the world would end on March 20, 1999. Let's see...nothing again...
According to somebody or another, the world is going to end every day of the year. What's the point of writing it down, if you're going to be dead anyway? Personally, I'll just wait until July 14, and watch it pass uneventfully as all the other "Doomsdays".
------------------ "Angels and Ministers of Grace, defend us" -Hamlet, Act I, Scene IV
posted
The Aztecs also predicted the end of the world to be on May 4, 1997.
------------------ http://frankg.dgne.com/ "[Steve Jobs] shouts at his employees a lot, using language you can't use on TV, not even on UPN." - Andy Ihnatko
posted
Well, frankly I've never given much headence to all those "end of the world" prophecies--Nostradamus or Star Magazine. Something about what Jubes said rang a bell. Maybe I'm just on edge because I dreamed that the US draft was reinstated, but it really struck me. I don't know what's going to happen, or even if something *will* in all actuality...but i'm a bit on the "freaked out" side for the time being.
------------------ Clones are People Two
"The Force is like duct tape: it has a dark side and a light side, and it holds the universe together"
posted
If there is a war my friend and I have our spot selected to watch Toronto burn...
*Doesn't believe in war predictions*
People have been predicting wars for thousands of years. Sometimes they're wrong. Frankly, I don't care if there is war really. I'm so close to Toronto that I'd be vaporized before I realized we were at war.
------------------ Josh: I think they're getting to know each other a bit too well, if you catch my drift. Me: Oh, I agree. I think they're spending too much time together, that is of course, if you catch my drift. Asher: I think he's *ucking her, and he's cheating on his wife, and he's risking his marriage, and if his wife finds out about it she'll leave him and take their son, and his life will be ruined. If you catch my drift...
Oh no! We've been deprived of new Highlander spinoffs! The horror!
Actually, the world ended at 03:46 on May 7th, 1999. What, you didn't notice?
------------------ "You hear about 'constitutional rights,' 'free speech,' and the 'free press.' Every time I hear these words I say to myself, 'That man is a Red!!...' You never hear a real American talk like that!" -- Mayor Frank Hague, Jersey City
posted
Still, with the bombing of the Chinese Embassy, the US continues it's unbroken record of always bombing people on its own side in every war they ever fight. The US OWN the term 'friendly fire'
I'm still bitter about that British helicopter you shot down in the Gulf.
------------------ 'You want the moon on a stick, don't you?' -Richard Herring
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