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| How should we treat our "friends"? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 7 2006, 01:42 PM (252 Views) | |
| dolmansaxlil | Sep 7 2006, 01:42 PM Post #1 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I'm using "we", even though I'm largely speaking about the US. Though I suppose it could be used in any case where a very powerful military country has relations with an unstable area. In the case of an area like the Middle East, where there is a long history of regional instability, how "helpful" should we be to our friends? Those who are friends usually have a history somewhere of being the enemy. And those who haven't been the enemy have often proven, at later times under other governments or situations, to be the enemy. So how nice should we be? I can understand sending aid packages and the like to countries regardless of circumstances, but military training and weaponry? Should anyone really be "sharing" with ANY country in the unstable Middle East? |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| Axtremus | Sep 7 2006, 02:29 PM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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The treat our "friends" as the situation warrants. Compare and contrast: ![]()
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| dolmansaxlil | Sep 7 2006, 02:33 PM Post #3 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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But that's exactly my point, Ax. One decade, we're handing over weapons and military training to a country because they are "Friendly". The next decade, we're defending ourselves against the weapons we gave them. Should we really be giving the governments of perpetually unstable countries things that can last for decades that could later be used against us? Friendly (for now) or not? |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| John D'Oh | Sep 7 2006, 02:56 PM Post #4 |
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MAMIL
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A mistake which appears to be made over and over again is to confuse 'friend' with 'enemy of our enemy'. |
| What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket? | |
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| dolmansaxlil | Sep 7 2006, 02:56 PM Post #5 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Good point, John. |
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"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson My Flickr Photostream | |
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| George K | Sep 7 2006, 03:55 PM Post #6 |
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Finally
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![]() Jolly said, "Nations have no permanent allies, they do, however, have permanent interests." |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Falstaff | Sep 7 2006, 04:01 PM Post #7 |
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Junior Carp
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Necessity is the mother of strange bedfellows. In the case of Yalta, Pottsdam and Tehran Conferences neither Churchill nor Roosevelet trusted Stalin as far as they could throw him. |
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