posted on September 26, 2001 08:38:48 PM new
We've always ignored things to keep stuff together, that's nothing new. All that's new now is that we're taking these conflicting positions more publically. Maybe this isn't the problem we think it should be, how many times have we been told that the coalitions will be flexible and shifting? Reread the beginning of 1984, and see how easily we'll accept that today's friends are yesterday's enemies and vice-versa.
Just for fun, re Toke's comment that:
"The MENL would do well to study the craft in the WP article. Much more betterer"
I wonder if the Washington Post is a bit too much more betterer. On a... hunch, I guess it was, I checked out the Washington Post's transcript of Bush's speech today to the CIA. They quoted Bush as saying that:
"The folks who conducted the act on our country on September 11 made a big mistake. They underestimated America. They underestimated our resolve, our determination, our love for freedom. They underestimated the fact that we love a neighbor in need. They underestimated the compassion of our country. I think they underestimated the will and determination of the commander-in-chief, too."
In fact, that's not what Bush said. I heard this speech myself on CNN. What Bush actually said was that: "They misunderestimated America. They misunderestimated our resolve... They misunderestimated the fact..." etc.
By the end of his spiel, it was sounding right to me, one more sentence and I probably would've jumped out of my chair and shouted - "That's right, you misunderestimated us!"
posted on September 26, 2001 08:57:09 PM newI don't see how in the world we can hold all this together, we're promising everything to everybody.
It sounded that way to me also.
I've been interested in the China connection. Snowy pointed out the needs of China in developing the Tibetian oil reserves. But I've been checking the Muslim presence in China also. Estimates range from 20 million upward, some as high as possibily 100 million. Many are located in Xinjiang Province but they are scattered throughout China. I'm wondering now if bin Laden is suspected to have operatives in China.
posted on September 26, 2001 10:12:33 PM new
So have I, Dan. The nearly inexplicable turnabout in relations with China during the airplane episode was curious, and they neatly masked it with all the hoopla about the returning hero flight crew. But so quickly we went from a near economic blockade (even sending back some berets) to an aquiescence to their conditions (and decided to buy the berets after all). In hindsight, with the reports of the possibility of plans to 'get' terrorists prior to the WTC attack, I wonder if the delicacies of a future coalition were were in their thoughts even then.
posted on September 26, 2001 10:36:34 PM new
Yes, that would explain the handling of that incident, Ken. And also his praise of Putin when they first met. Everyone was wondering about that. In fact it was discussed it in this thread:
If there was a desire to form a coalition against terrorism early on, it might explain many of the foreign policy statements that seemed so odd at the time. As I recall, he also made a statement not too long into the presidency about the possibility of re-thinking our support of Taiwan.
I remember the Taiwan comment now. He quickly backed off when the Chinese were upset.
[ edited by antiquary on Sep 26, 2001 10:50 PM ]
posted on September 26, 2001 10:54:52 PM new
I had thought at the time that that was only part of his all inclusive "rethinks", but a signalled possibility of an altered US position as regard Taiwan would almost automatically open channels of communication with China. Whether the intention was to gain support in a coalition envisioned by the administration or whether it was a more base desire to clear the way toward exploration contracts on the Chinese mainland who could guess.
It's interesing to hear from Kissinger now after years of relative silence. I've thought that he's our own home version of the evil genius in pursuit of world domination as one of the antagonist characters in James Bond novels sought for that goal. Even looks like one of the movie versions, though I don't remember the name. Maybe this is the finale of that series and Bin Laden is Dr. No. Kinda' looks like him, too. Not quite so Asian. A final showdown--who's the greatest evil genious of all?
To speak of any long range plan for the resolution of the terrorist problem almost requires an acceptance of the possibility of prior knowledge of some catalytic event.
posted on September 26, 2001 11:01:42 PM new
There was inevitably going to be further terrorist attacks. No one expected one so drastic and horrible here. But they've continued fairly consistently around the globe.
grammatical edit
[ edited by antiquary on Sep 26, 2001 11:03 PM ]
