Letters to the Editor
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The Solution
Gary Kamiya does do the research.
Suggest that all governments in the whole-wide world issue a few of those strap handled carry along bazooka's at each child's birth. A beautiful idea?
If someone does not act pleasant, smile, ask if you slept well, and had a good bowel movement (?),lock and load and let them have it! All-barrels.
That plan may enforce kindness. It may assure mutually assured madness? It might prove less dangerous than how the arms financiers overstock the world with weaponry, presently.
That is a humdinger idea?
When hugging, arms tangle.
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AnthonyB: The Jewish State
Why not follow the name Saudi Arabia ... with the moniker "the Muslim State"?
You honestly don't seem like a troll, so maybe you really do need to have this clarified.
When listing the States of the Middle East, all but two of which are formally or culturally Muslim, the term "Muslim" imparts no distinction, while the term "Jewish" is perfectly unambiguous.
By the same token, if one were (for whatever reason) listing Iran, Turkey, Israel, and Iraq, one could unambiguously refer to "the Arab State" -- to the extent, anyway, that Iraq can be considered an organized polity anymore.
But even beyond that, come on -- while Israel is often called many things unfairly, it certainly was intended by its founders, and is recognized today by its citizens, as uniquely the Jewish State, the only one in the world.
Pick a better fight.
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As we approach the cliff,
I am struck by the irony that US foreign policy, especially under Bush,jnr, has been built on the two pillars of
1.massive deficit spending, more and more of it money borrowed from China and
2.war(s) in the middle east financed by that borrowing designed to secure access to middle eastern oil to ward off competition from other countries for that oil-- such as China.
If push comes to shove and the Chinese get tired of underwriting our destabilizing wars of aggression, what's to stop them from flooding the world money supply with US treasury notes they decide they no longer want?
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It's worked so far
If measured by the standard that the US needs to have unrestricted access to ME oil then US policy has been a success for the past 60 years. The question is whether the cost has been worth it, in economic terms for the US and in the social consequences for the people of the ME.
Not to mention all of the finacial and personal consquences of 9/11 which was a direct result of the US presence in Saudi Arabia whose only purpose was to keep that oil supply secure.
If the ME oil supply were to dissappear magically overnight the US interest in the ME would sink to a level of its interest in Africa.
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The counterpoint to Glenn Greenwald is laughable, dark, but laughable
Yesterday we were treated to an endless screed about how silly it is to worry about "Islamists". Today we're treated to Gary cheering on those very people for, and I quote "..standing up to the US and Israel.." unquote. Because according to Gary, the "moderates" are bad yet the "activists" are good.
So there you have it kids:
Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, Iran: Good
US, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia: Bad
And lest we forget, by definition, any resistance to these 'activists' must be called, by Gary, quote 'Genocide' unquote.
On the political spectrum, Gary has placed himself somewhere to further to the other side of the Iranian government in relation to the west.
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Anonymous
What pathetic drivel. Gary didn't actually the things you claim: "the uncomfortable truth is that most of their people respect the "extremists" for standing up to America and Israel." That's the whole sentence, not just the piece that you cherry-picked and then claimed Gary believes it. Dishonest in the extreme. You are blinded by your own hatred.
Oh yeah, BTW, I have a lot of friends who are Jewish along with my mother and her entire family.
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Get ready for martial law in the states
Once the weapons are delivered, our gov't will claim everyone is out to get us and declare martial law.
I like how they're offering 20 bill in weaponry to Saudi Arabia...those are the ones who committed 9/11 - nice.
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Call to arms
Mr. Kamiya presents what seem to be plausible points of discussion in regards to the proposed Middle East arms deal.
Unfortunately, those who control the discussion will not entertain such thoughts. As all know, arms dealing is BIG business within the USA. So far the Bush administration has paid back the oil interests, the large corporations, the military supply interests, and the otherwise wealthy. This is one of the last cabals he must take care of before he leaves his gargoylian perch. Bush will be repaid with perpetual ransom, but not with respect.
Too bad we as a country would embrace such an arms deal. Maybe we are the chosen country of God, where one American life is worth more than a 1,000 Arabian of Persian lives? Maybe it won’t matter that we become perpetrators of another 20 years of mass violence? It’s so nice to think that one is always the cleverest person in the room, isn't it Mr. Bush.
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Bombs Pay Dividends in the US
I'm not sure Gary isn't being more "high minded," than the situation calls for. The question may be asked: to what extent is American foreign policy determined by the military "defense" industry?
Regardless of what happens in any other way--the administration wins by maintaining what is basically a war economy. Liberals, neo-liberals, and the well intentioned may have scruples but if the last six years have taught anything it's that Bush/Cheney don't.
The nation still has no idea the role oil played in the war, aside from the oil bill waiting to be approved, but the pattern is set. The neo-con agenda is premised on self-interest--and what is more self-interested than keeping the factories in this country turning out bombs, tanks and planes, employing thousands of loyal militarists, and helping with the balance of payments?
After all, who really cares what havoc is caused elsewhere as long as there is plenty of gas for the SUV, a Smith and Wesson under the front seat, and a world who knows who's boss.