Comments on: Are Gates, Rice appeasers, too?

By: sursum

sursum — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:22:21 +0000

bth: If we said to Iran OK, you can annex the Sunni parts of Iraq but not the Shia areas, that might be a comparison. The Shia would have the backing of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan etc. all of whom are Shia countries and who care nothing about the Sunni portions of Iraq. This would create a balance of power in that region. When we got rid of the Saddam (Shia) we created a religious void the Sunni Iranians are filling. Iraq had an uneasy combination of Sunni and Shia each of whom had been doing terrible things to each other for centuries.The Czech area of the old Austrian Empire had a huge, huge German speaking contingent and Hitler cared little about the Slovacks or the Czechs. He proclaimed Slovakia a protectorate after he was given the Czech portion and did you notice how fast the Slovacks and the Czechs split when the Cold War was over? History repeats itself constantly, only the names change.

By: bth

bth — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:48:12 +0000

If we talked with Iran and said “OK, we will let you annex Iraq” then perhaps the Chamberlain analogy might make sense. Just like if THEY said to us that WE could annex Iraq - but in reverse.

By: sursum

sursum — Fri, 23 May 2008 00:16:22 +0000

Regular: One more kick at this cat. Churchill made his comments on appeasement while sitting as an opposition Member of Parliament. Under their system of government it is the duty of the Loyal Oppostion to critize with all the fury, caustic,sarcastic comments and downright stretching of the truth they can muster all government policies. Being a Liberal at the time of his appeasement comments (he had been a Conservative and First Sea Lord))he derided Chamberlain constantly, but when invited to join the Cabinet he crossed over to sit on the government side and became a Conservative…..again and of course, stopped bitching. Gotta wonder about convictions here vs. opportunism. What motivates a comment sometimes carries more weight than the comment itself.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:37:27 +0000

I hope so. It seems that Assad (the younger) is a pragmatist. If Syria can forge ties around the Mediterranean they can prosper.

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:30:08 +0000

bth,
I think there is a good chance the talks will be successful. The United States wasn’t invited to the talks so it’s clear they want peace since the U.S. would just go there to disrupt the talks and promote violence.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:28:10 +0000

M-P - and I hope the talks succeed - for BOTH sides. BOTH countries will benefit from a cessation of hostilities. And Turkey might have another motive: Peace in the Levant region could be very good for their economy as well as all of the economies of the region.

By: JWink

JWink — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:28:06 +0000

Re: Robert Gates, secretary of defense. Graduate of Wichita’s East High School reputedly with straight “A”’s. His brother was later principal of Wichita’s Southeast High School.

At this point, I predict Bob Gates will be a vice-presidential candidate four years for now. He’s got far better qualifications for president than any candidate we have running today.

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:23:10 +0000

Is Israel a bunch of Nazi appeasers like Bush suggests since they are negotiating a peace deal with Syria?

By: JWink

JWink — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:21:23 +0000

By comparison, the populations of the following countries:

Israel: 6.4 million,
Iraq: 21 1/2 million,
Iran: 65 1/2 million.

I believe we should have learned by now the dangers of attacking Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also many Iranian students are attending schools in Wichita, Kansas and across our country. I have met a few and found them very bright and well mannered.

Even as a moderate Republican, I see the fallicy of electing politicians with minimal education and track record of substantial success. Experience running a baseball team was pitifully inadequate.

I’m convinced most countries want to emulate the United States, not destroy us. If maverick leaders arise in some countries, we must deal with them individually and not bomb the country.

Could we have taken out Hitler in 1938 … probably.

By: kansasdem

kansasdem — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:20:52 +0000

Whoops. Gen. Petraeus has just joined the Appeasers Club. Good company. Look who’s in; look who’s not.

By: writerdog

writerdog — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:19:53 +0000

Oh and BTW, not too hot on HIllary on the court.

By: LLTVET

LLTVET — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:56:07 +0000

Now all that McCain has to do is denounce Parsley.

By: writerdog

writerdog — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:50:09 +0000

Actually it took someone finding a speech of Hegee’s where he said that Hitler was a hunter that God used to drive the Jews to the homeland of Israel. Now Hegee has denounced Mc Cain too saying he would hate to be a blinding factor in the campaign.

By: LLTVET

LLTVET — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:54:55 +0000

Kansasdem. McCain rejected Hagee? Cool. I guess the election cycle is far enough along that McCain can grow his pair back and tell the Religious Right ” SIT AND SPIN” Will you post a link for that? I would so enjoy reading it.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:54:54 +0000

Does that mean McLame was ‘for’ Hagee before he was ‘against’ him?

FLIP

FLOP

And for Sam … just plain FLOP

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:53:04 +0000

first - can’t type

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:50:24 +0000

How about “You must unconditionally surrender to our occupation forst”? And “give us all your oil”?

By: kansasdem

kansasdem — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:50:01 +0000

McBush just “rejected” his Rev. Hagee’s endorsement? What does that mean? And Sam Brownback? Does he now feel remorse and regret for having spent the last year cultivating Hagee?

And how can Sam, and his coworker Pat Roberts, look themselves in the mirror everyday knowing they helped sell an unjust war (based on Catholic doctrine and the Pope’s own words)?

By: LLTVET

LLTVET — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:48:34 +0000

well Ben, Apparantly Reagan set some preconditions before he went. Nixon did as well. That brings me to question 2 (scroll up) what were these so called
“preconditions” that Barack Obama is irresponsibly forgoing?

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:47:52 +0000

“He belongs in jail.”

But he can still talk through the little grill in the wall in the visiting room.

By: kansasdem

kansasdem — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:46:06 +0000

Bush won’t be having direct talks with anyone. No one wants to talk to him. He belongs in jail.

By: SolDevVB

SolDevVB — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:45:08 +0000

and don’t interfere with the internal affairs of other nations.

Sounds like good advice. Maybe we should follow it.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:44:48 +0000

VET - talking to the Commie Russians didn’t do any good. They still launched their nukes at us!

By: LLTVET

LLTVET — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:42:57 +0000

Regular: So you are finally going to concede that we don’t really give anything up by talking with Iran? Lord, it’s going to rain.

If you think talking with Iran is useless, fine, you go ahead and think that. Just as long as you finally concede the fact that nothing is given up by doing so.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:42:38 +0000

VET - Gates is an Osama-loving Islamic Commie.