General Zinni on Sixty Minutes

On 30 May 2004 21:36:46 GMT, (WalterM140) wrote:

Your history is failing you again. But, I digress. The fact of the
matter is that US containment policy was consistent from Truman
through the collapse of the SU in 1989. To ascribe it to one party or
the other is definitely revisionist.


But to give credit to Reagan alone -- per you- is not.

Surely you can do better than this.

Walt


I think that most readers would say I did do better. You started by
saying that Reagan was the worst president (a near tie, according to
you with Bush 43.) You asserted that he always took the easy way out.

I responded with a number of Reagan policies that were significant. I
did not say that the SU collapsed because of a policy of
containment--you did.

I DID say that Reagan's reversal of the demilitarization, disarmament
policies of Carter were instrumental in the collapse. The reversal of
the trend started by Carter caused the Soviet response to demand more
than their strained economy could sustain. That was the Reagan policy
that I referred to.

One should also note that the generational shift in Soviet leadership
from the 80-year old Stalinists to the new generation Gorbachev also
led to reforms that hastened the collapse. Glasnost and perestroika
opened the door to interactions that raised the expectations of the
Soviet people and created demand for change.

Once again, complexity over simplicity leads to understanding of what
went on.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8

What a come down for the world's only superpower!

More precisely:
"world's only self proclaimed superpower!"

Yes! They keep comparing Iraq to Vietnam, when they should really be
comparing it to the Soviet-Afhgan war. Just substitute buildings for
mountains
and you have it.


Afghanistan was Brezezinkis trap for Soviet Union (Afghanistan trap)


If we keep acting like the Soviets, it is only natural that we will share
their history.


Check out my post dated 1/27/03;
I wrote:
"I think 21st century version of 1776 is in making with roles reversed this is
the gravest danger to US".

The trap prepared for US is not an Afghanistan or Iraq trap its an Global Trap
and the projected "Atlantic Wall" between Cyprus and Afghanistan wont be
useful.

Thats the reason why a civil war erupted inside US goverment and between some
US gov't agencies.

This is just another chapter of "The Great Game" and the opponents of US in
this game are not Terrorists,Insurgents,Rag top armies etc. but the most
sophisticated and most experienced great game players of the history.

Check out my post dated 1/27/03;
I wrote:
"I think 21st century version of 1776 is in making with roles reversed this
is
the gravest danger to US".


Well, after the Revolution the Brits went on to secure their "second" empire
and even greater wealth and power.

We'd need to stumble on our equivalent of the Somme to **** what we have away.

A bigger problem for the US is that everything you buy now seems to be marked
"made in China."

These are dangerous times, no doubt about it.

Walt

Well, after the Revolution the Brits went on to secure their "second" empire
and even greater wealth and power.

They tried consolidate the empire but 1776 was the beginning of the end in
other words an hidden turning point of history.
Till 1872 Great Britain was #1 official enemy of US.

A bigger problem for the US is that everything you buy now seems to be marked
"made in China."


True,moreover the products Made in USA usualy designed by imported talent and
manufactured actually in some place outside US.
Heck,Mahan's ideas did not find many followers outside the Navy,if US society
had accepted Mahan's ideas US today would be an advanced nation without too
much dependence on foreign brainpower and goods.

These are dangerous times, no doubt about it.

If lots of people are not happy with the direction of gov;t and worry about
their own or their kids future, "united we stand" bumper stickers alone might
not be very helpful to maintain unity.

"Vaughn" wrote in message
...

Have you been suffering from these delusions long? What is the next
"terrorist" country that we are going to invade?


You need to find better sources of information.

"Vaughn" wrote in message
...

This from the guy who thinks we went to Iraq to fight terrorists?


Informed people understand we're fighting terrorists in Iraq.

In article
,
"Vaughn" wrote:


We are fighting terrorists in Iraq.

Have you been suffering from these delusions long? What is the next
"terrorist" country that we are going to invade?

Iraqis themselves blame much of the current fighting on foreign jihadis
from Syria, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Vaughn" wrote in message
...

This from the guy who thinks we went to Iraq to fight terrorists?


Informed people understand we're fighting terrorists in Iraq.

I will concede that we may actually be fighting a few terrorists in Iraq
now, but they are likely foreign "true believers" who have gravitated to Iraq
because our guys are there (and have perhaps by now managed some local
recruiting). There was very little documented international terrorism activity
in Iraq before we invaded, certainly less than in certain other Arab countries.
Don't forget; Iraq was a comparatively secular society. We have now thrown open
the gates for the religious crazies to come in to Iraq and do their work.

I still haven't figured out what Iraq is all about, but it wasn't 9-11 and
it has little or nothing to do with terrorism. Perhaps it was supposed to have
something to do with assuring Bush's second term (thus "mission accomplished"),
but today it seems more likely to have the opposite effect.

Vaughn

"Vaughn" wrote in message
...

I still haven't figured out what Iraq is all about, but it wasn't
9-11 and
it has little or nothing to do with terrorism.


It had everything to do with terrorism.