some counterpoints

by Knip

Posted to Poetry and Politics on 2003-04-04 17:30:00

Parent message is 418938
thanks for that, Z

i think you would be surprised at how much of what you have said people around here are actually aware of. i’m no defender of us foreign policy over the years, but i will add a couple points to add perspective:

1. the true power (or lack thereof) of the soviet union was not known until after the Wall fell. i’m not sure it is entirely accurate to paint the entire Cold War as being one of economics

2. i would agree with most everything you say about US foreign policy, it’s goals, it’s purpose. i’d also say that pretty much every country approaches their foreign policy in the same manner – it is virtually ALWAYS to support domestic policy and goals. the US does act immorally most of the time, from the point of view of individual human behaviour, but from the perspective of national behaviour, i wouldn’t say they are any more immoral or evil than anyone else – they’re probably less so. this doesn’t make it right or moral, it is what it is, though. the US are the big bullies today, so they get most of the flack

3. turkey is not the bunch of innocents you purport them to be. their foreign policy is and has been shaped by their domestic policies. today their principal goal (other than getting into the EU) is to keep iraqi kurds in their place and in iraq, so they don’t instigate/fuel the turkish kurds any more than they presently are.

4, but i agree with you completely – readreadreadread!


Thanks for the points.

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