Today's Talking Point

[lollardfish]

The Bush "policy" in Iraq is providing aid and comfort to the repressive government of Iran. If we follow Bush's "plan for victory," and somehow manage to succeed, the end result will be an armed Southern, Shiite, Iraq that serves as a near client-state to a nuclear-armed Iran.

Comments

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Gee, remember when Shiites were the *bad* guys?

That's what really sucks about this. We committed a crime going in, but we also destabilized the entire Sunni-Shiite balance of power by doing so. If we just up and leave, we can confidently expect that chaos will descend. So, if we leave now, we commit another crime.

And, a lot of the former hawks want us out.

Didn't they ever learn that when you make a mess you're supposed to clean it up?

BTW, would you email me at mia_mcdavid at comcast dot net? Thanx

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Well, there wasn't really a "balance of power," but yeah.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I mean, it wasn't "balanced." I'm sleepy. And distracted by the kingdom of Khwarzm's attack on Caliph Nasir's Baghdad in 1217. Now there's a fun topic.

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

Ancient history is always more fun than current events. One doesn't feel any *responsibility* for it.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

heh. I do. Medieval history is my day job. (having posting errors, sorry if multiples)

[mia-mcdavid.livejournal.com]

OK. You're responsible for *knowing* it. You're still not responsible in the sense that you're the citizen of a country that is right now doing all these disgusting things.

High school teacher? College?

[galacticvoyeur.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the volume of Cartoon History of the World that covers the beginning of Islam. Until you pointed out to me that "we" actually lost the crusades, I hadn't really thought much about that period. This is getting interesting.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. The "winners" of the Crusades were:

The Ottoman Turks(who didn't particularly exist during any of the basic Crusades)
The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt (who then lost to the Ottomans)
The Kingdoms of Castille, Aragon, and Portugal in Spain
Various North African potentates
The French Monarchy