http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/a-thank-you-letter.htm

That Hometown Baghdad site is and was bogus. You can see as things have improved, there have been fewer posts from the PR people who set it up.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/a-thank-you-letter.htm

That Hometown Baghdad site is and was bogus. You can see as things have improved, there have been fewer posts from the PR people who set it up.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n13/croo01_.html

Kind regards,

History and Humility

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n13/croo01_.html

Kind regards,

History and Humility

I was simply trying to point out inconvenient truths.

Please don’t confuse me as some left-winger, it’s pragmatism -the problem with American policy is that it’s not even succeeding in its’ own aims, the problem is those values/aims.

I agree with some of your questions, some of my observations answer that.

A life lost is a life lost, but who is a state-player, versus non-state (almost) common-criminals/thugs, who’s reacting to who. Who created the vacuum to allow these “insurgents” to do their damage.

People who knew history were able to say what would be required after, even before the war -and were ignored; You’ll need a lot more money, a lot more soldiers and a federal structure that dictates equality between the blocks, but if you thing the shias/kurds can act against their emotional (maybe fair) vindictive instincts for previous repression, when even much of the west can’t get away from revenge for genorisity, kindness and forgiveness instead, and aspire to how Nelson Mandela ensured that South Africa didn’t rip-apart, then you truly are a saint.

In case you missed it, if america wants to ensure success, for it’s own aims even beyond doing the right thing -to not create an area that will “breed” “terrorism”, America will need to be there for a generation and fair (not what’s perceived as U.s. corporate interests) trade and respect, rather than colonially pointing, telling.

If the collective American mindset is honesty and fairness without dogma or ideological denial, then things, after a lot of pain and bitterness -that will need to be compensated for in one way above and beyond what instinctive arrogance might otherwise allow – then success can still be achieved out of the mess, but sore wounds will exist for a long time.
No amount of spin and re-writing history will help, and if there was to be a milosevic or jinnah, then it’s back to the inevitable balkanisation, and just wait for the stability you might get then.

Thanks.

Kind regards,

History and Humility

I was simply trying to point out inconvenient truths.

Please don’t confuse me as some left-winger, it’s pragmatism -the problem with American policy is that it’s not even succeeding in its’ own aims, the problem is those values/aims.

I agree with some of your questions, some of my observations answer that.

A life lost is a life lost, but who is a state-player, versus non-state (almost) common-criminals/thugs, who’s reacting to who. Who created the vacuum to allow these “insurgents” to do their damage.

People who knew history were able to say what would be required after, even before the war -and were ignored; You’ll need a lot more money, a lot more soldiers and a federal structure that dictates equality between the blocks, but if you thing the shias/kurds can act against their emotional (maybe fair) vindictive instincts for previous repression, when even much of the west can’t get away from revenge for genorisity, kindness and forgiveness instead, and aspire to how Nelson Mandela ensured that South Africa didn’t rip-apart, then you truly are a saint.

In case you missed it, if america wants to ensure success, for it’s own aims even beyond doing the right thing -to not create an area that will “breed” “terrorism”, America will need to be there for a generation and fair (not what’s perceived as U.s. corporate interests) trade and respect, rather than colonially pointing, telling.

If the collective American mindset is honesty and fairness without dogma or ideological denial, then things, after a lot of pain and bitterness -that will need to be compensated for in one way above and beyond what instinctive arrogance might otherwise allow – then success can still be achieved out of the mess, but sore wounds will exist for a long time.
No amount of spin and re-writing history will help, and if there was to be a milosevic or jinnah, then it’s back to the inevitable balkanisation, and just wait for the stability you might get then.

Thanks.

Kind regards,

History and Humility