Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Idiots are everywhere

Author:Dave Winer
Posted:5/4/1999; 7:05:26 AM
Topic:scriptingNews outline for 5/4/99
Msg #:5606 (In response to 5604)
Prev/Next:5605 / 5607

and your earlier suggestion to simply relocate all the Kosovars is just plain silly

We're going to relocate the Kosovars anyway, right? Do you really think it's going to be safe there anytime in the forseeable future? I just heard on NPR that they're not going to Montenegro now because they don't feel safe there either.

I have a question for you, since you think the NATO intervention is justified. What if the ethnic cleansing were happening in China or Russia, two countries with real armies and nukes, military powers that could probably defeat us if we fought them in their homelands? Would you support a NATO intervention anyway? In Russia, it could have something to do with a stable Europe. Where do you draw your line? Does effectiveness play a role in the decision?

My main deciding factor on this was a belief that it wouldn't work. History is clearly on Milosovic's side, or the side of continued murderous chaos in the Balkans. Bombing offensives usually don't get you victory either. Yes yes, I am against people killing people on a massive scale. But it happens, and there are lots of times we don't get involved militarily.

If you have two choices, A and B, both ineffective, which one would you choose, assuming that A also drained your defenses, cost lots of money, risked the lives of your citizens, bred hatred of you and solidified the opposition? Personally, I'd take B.

There are responses to this message:

This page was archived on 6/13/2001; 4:49:45 PM.

© Copyright 1998-2001 UserLand Software, Inc.