On 22 Oct 2024, Mike Powell said the following...
 
 MP> > Interesting. I never could wrap my head around Israel. I don't think man
 MP> 
 MP> The West set Israel up after WWII.  I never saw or heard of any official
 MP> promise but it seems to be the policy that we are responsible for helping
 MP> to defend them ever since.

My understanding of the foundation was basically allowing Jewish immigrants to pick whatever place they wanted to live and kick the Muslim residents out. "Sorry, folks. Gotta go." That's what I couldn't understand. How was there not a more carefully crafted bilateral plan that wouldn't lead to the craziness like the PLO that followed? (And the insanity we're seeing now.)

Certainly, the Jewish community required safe haven following WWII. And obviously, the historical/religious significance of Israel is incredible.  But there had to have been a better way to execute that.

 MP> Browne seemed logical and not so off the wall.  IMHO, they've shifted
 MP> right since then and really are no longer much different than right-wing
 MP> Republicans.  They just are not as scared to say the quiet parts out loud
 MP> as most Republicans are.

I share that view.

I feel silly about it now, but I used to also think that complete privatization and deregulation should have been one of the pillars of our society. After witnessing how soulless and immoral (not amoral) business is firsthand, however... Yeah, no thanks.

 MP> > This practice might be one of my biggest frustrations with how we conduc
 MP> > foreign policy. We've seen a century of (sometimes rather severe) uninte
 MP> > consequences resulting from our meddling. We should have learned a lesso
 MP> > from that by now.
 MP> 
 MP> If they didn't learn it before, 9/11 should have finally taught them
 MP> their lesson.  I think they believe the lesson was that they can do it
 MP> better rather than they maybe need to stop.

Again, we're on the exact same page here.

 MP> It would be nice to have enough representative and senators in DC who can
 MP> actually work together to come up with things they can agree on, even if
 MP> they are from a different party, and can compromise on rather than doing
 MP> nothing but bickering.

Part of me thinks I'm romanticizing the political landscape leading up to the 2000s, but I genuinely feel that there was more respectful aisle crossing and cooperative dialogue in the past. It's only recently -- with a bit of help from talk radio and a few very vocal, unfiltered candidates -- that things seem to have gotten to the point where lifelong relationships are ended and it feels like we're on the verge of spilling words over into violent action.

RS

... "Road work ahead" ... I sure hope it does!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/32)