tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post2279926551042002562..comments2024-03-07T14:43:21.888-08:00Comments on Whatever I want to write about: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strengthSriram Khéhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907731254833435446noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-31165104184310396042015-07-03T08:42:21.460-07:002015-07-03T08:42:21.460-07:00I had to do a Google search for "Prime Direct...I had to do a Google search for "Prime Directive" ... and now I know ;)<br /><br />Consistent political policies. That is not something we can expect from any principled politician. In fact, "principled politician" is an oxymoron ;)<br /><br />Anne doesn't want to harshly criticize the presidents from HER party who created all the mess that I refer to in the post: Ike, Reagan, Bush, Bush. And she wants to distract us by directing us to look at the current president from that other party ... she is always clear about where her loyalty is ... hehehe ...<br />In the contemporary scene, yes, it has been disaster after disaster. Obama made that big fancy speech in Cairo soon after the elections. And when the people all over started rebelling against the dictators, he chose to (multiple choice here): stay silent; look the other way; back the wrong people; ditch things half way ... <br />At the end of it all, it doessn't matter if it is the GOP or the Democrats. They use, to employ one of the metaphors that George Carlin often used, it is like condoms--the presidents do their part to f*k up the Middle East and then discard the "son of bitches" as if they were all used condoms :(<br />Sriram Khéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724218458246880137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-66147066879140174022015-07-02T21:27:00.360-07:002015-07-02T21:27:00.360-07:00Clearly a few politicians need a primer on the Pri...Clearly a few politicians need a primer on the Prime Directive.<br /><br />Generally speaking, I prefer non-interference, but, as with all situations, it is complicated. Surely there are cases when interference is almost demanded, such as racial genocide. <br /><br />But how to choose when interference is required? A country should be consistent in applying its policy, but that very consistency is challenging. We fought against Gadaffi for killing his own citizens but did nothing against Assad. Hard to explain, and no one held the president accountable for this inconsistency.Anne in Salemnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-50336026356211916402015-07-01T22:45:09.610-07:002015-07-01T22:45:09.610-07:00Being a policeman and settling disputes between co...Being a policeman and settling disputes between countries is par for the course, I think. In the global village, the rich have that obligation. But, settling disputes is not what the US did with respect to Iran. From overthrowing Mossadegh to patronizing the Shah and then working to undermine the theocracy and aligning with the savage Saddam ... uncalled for ...<br /><br />China aligns itself with anybody who will do dirty deals. The Burmese junta, the N. Korean maniacs, dictators in African countries. Those dirty deals contribute a lot to strengthen those governments--which is interference in a different way. <br /><br />There is no saintly country here. Nobody has any higher moral ground on everything. Given all the rogues that make up the United Nations, I make my home here in the US--recognizing its warts and all ... no blind love this is ;)<br /><br />One of the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement was not interfering in a country's internal affairs. But that allowed the rogues to do whatever they did within their countries ... Sriram Khéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724218458246880137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-18975073743879526982015-07-01T18:30:47.011-07:002015-07-01T18:30:47.011-07:00Yeah - any form of meddling, good intentioned or o...Yeah - any form of meddling, good intentioned or otherwise, produces all sorts of results. Some good, but mostly bad. In the past, the British performed this role. Now the Americans.<br /><br />There is something to be said for the foreign policy of China. For the most part, they do not interfere, or make judgements on the regimes of any country. The fall out of this is that they may do business with rogues and look the other way when atrocities are committed. But as you so eloquently point out, how do you determine who is the "son of a bitch". If for neutralising the more virulent son of a bitch, you have to deal with a lesser son of a bitch, is that better than simply not interfering at all ? Questions to ponder over.<br /><br />The dominant power of the day tends to appoint itself as some sort of a global policeman. There are two flaws with this reasoning. One is that there is no common set of rules or laws in the world to police. Secondly, such policing is always resented by a fair number of the parties involved. Since everything is always shades of grey,you are joining some unsavoury characters in pushing back some other unsavoury characters. Is that a good thing or a bad thing ?<br /><br />Perhaps you may post on the merits and demerits of non interference too.<br /><br />Rameshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782192840421019943noreply@blogger.com