Sinergy
Posts: 9383
Joined: 4/26/2004 Status: offline
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ORIGINAL: Mercnbeth quote:
Surrender to who? Carter was involved in trying to be friends with the USSR and end the cold war. Invading Iran when the USSR did not support the invasion might not have been productive on a global scale. In fact, it might have completely destroyed his efforts to get the USSR to the negotiating table to figure out an arms limitation treaty to end the Cold War. President Carter surrendered the sovereignty of US territory, the Embassy, to the Iranians. Now we are back to the problem of definitions. What exactly is an "Iranian?" The followers of Khomeini? The students in the embassy? Any one of the dozens of other Mullahs and Ayatollahs and ex-military officers and their entourages? One issue I have with a lot of your posts is the insistence that the rest of the world follows the Western nation-state model which grew out of medeival fiefdoms in Western Europe. In those instances like Iraq and Afghanistan and India and the like, these did not exist until the Western colonial powers made them so. Define the word "Iranians," and we can have a discussion about it. quote:
I would think that destroying the oil production would be seen as a positive. That occurring President Carter's self sufficiency program would have taken on a greater meaning. Hrm, would love to hear the rationale behind this idea. Actually, I guess I wouldnt. In re-reading it I think it was meant as a vituperative comment in the hopes that I might take offense to it. quote:
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As I have pointed out, your opinion does not constitute proof. The proof is what has occurred, which can not be argued. President Carter is the why, in my opinion. You haven't presented anything to the contrary in the way of fact. I have, actually. Do a search for Isreali, Palestine, Shah, 1941, 1948, etc., on this thread and reread my points. quote:
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"Things worked out historically because, not despite, what Carter did." I agree 100% especially regarding the events of 9/11. So I can file this under "I heard it here, first" Simply restating your opinion is not proof. quote:
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He was "a" leader. He just happened to be the one that ended up in charge after the dust settled. Your position favors no negotiation at all. Without a leader there could be no negotiation. Instead we should have gone to rescue the hostages and protected the sovereignty of the US Embassy. I have no problem with that position. However, facts dispute that Khomeini wasn't the head of Iran. Four leaders of the opposition, Naji, Rahimi, Khosrowdad, and Nasiri were brutally executed immediately after Khomeini took office. If he weren't the de facto leader could that have happened on his orders? http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/10/29/170201.shtml Fair enough. Who were Naij, Rahimi, Khosrowdad, and Nasiri "opposing?" Have you ever learned about the "cycle of Revolution?" Bloody purges are the norm, not the exception. It still doesnt mean that anybody is actually "in charge." Now factor time into your calculations. Was Khomeini in a position to provide the hostages up to the US prior to the US fiasco implemented by Carter? Please cite sources to support this claim. Khomeini making the statement to the press does not qualify as proof that he could deliver on his claim. A comparison is Saddam claiming he had WMDs or Kim Jong Il claiming he exploded a nuclear warhead in an underground test that worked out to 20+ megatons. quote:
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Name 5. How about two million? I dont know five people in Iran named Two Million. I suspect you dont either. If you mean two million, out of a total population of? quote:
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The legitimacy of the current Iranian régime has been called into question regularly since it took power in 1979, chiefly because it excludes so many Iranians from any participation in government and public affairs. The fact that somewhere in excess of two million Iranians prefer to live in exile than return to live in the Islamic Republic is a prima facie compromise on the claims of the régime to represent all Iranians. Source: http://www.csis-scrs.gc.ca/en/publications/commentary/com20.asp Recent History: How about an entire website trying to keep the opposition alive: http://parvandeh.blogspot.com/ I imagine there are at least two million people in the United States who think the Bush administration is illegitimate. Let me know when the White House is vacant because we want it to be. On a related note, there was an active lobbying group of people claiming to be the true government of Iraq. We know how the locals responded to them being put in charge by the US. Do you understand that a bunch of people thinking they are legitimate rulers of a country of people does not make it so? quote:
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The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/18/wiran18.xml Again, who are we (the US) to insist they have government A or government B? Changing the focus? President Carter's failure had nothing to do with the government in power. Whoever or whatever the government in charge it should have been held accountable for attacking the sovereignty of the US. Once released, rescued or, also a possibility they were all killed, the US could leave and let the residents continue their ongoing killing of each other. Instead, President Carter surrendered. As I pointed out, we are just going to have to agree to disagree. You state that "whatever Government in charge should have surrendered them." I state that there was no "Government in charge" despite what Khomeini thought of himself. At least not "in charge" of the people holding the hostages. quote:
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You insist on stating infinitives and certainties where I see few (or none) existing. Additionally, when I ask you for empirical proof for your certainties, you call me names. I look forward to your next set of insults and unproven half-truths and certainties. Your words and the inability to recognize errors speak for themselves. I never referred to you, or anyone you support, in a derogatory manner or make a reference to "ignorance". Can you make the same representation? I only questioned your comprehension when you asked the same question three times after I gave the reason for my position. Since you didn't bring it up for a fourth time, I'm pleased that it is no longer an issue. I'm sorry you took issue in the favorable and obvious comparisons you made between President's Carter and Bush. You made the comparisons, I only agreed with them and pointed out how in one case, President Carter, you had admiration while in the case of President Bush, to whom you made many references of doing the same exact thing, you detested and need to reference in a derogatory fashion. You made the comparisons not me. I only pointed out the irony of them. I dont care what you personally think of Bush or Carter. I am speaking of their actions, not who they are as an individual. If you cannot understand the difference between Carter not invading a muslim country, and Bush invading a muslim country, I suspect there is not much I can do to help you. Your response is to attack me. Which, while mildly amusing, does not really alter my emotional state at all. I want to keep this a reasoned debate, however, your attacks and emotional demands that your opinion is proof dont really work in an intellectual discussion. The point I keep making is that your insistence that Carter caused radical Islam to flourish in the middle east is myopic and ignorant, citing historical precedents and sources. Let me demonstrate the difference in our arguments. Mercnbeth: Carter's actions in Iran ===> Radical Islam Sinergy: Historical precedents ==> Abramic religions ==> factionalism ==> Colonialism ==> Isreal ==> support for the Afghan resistance ==> Arab leaders running oppressive regimes and needing an outlet for the more militaristic of their subjects ===> Western powers dumping weapons they no longer need in order to curry favor ==> Oil issues with Saudi Arabia et al ==> Radical Islam. While Carter might have been one of the historical precedents, I dont see Carter as being a root cause of Radical Islam. If you do not understand the difference, then we will have to agree to disagree. Sinergy
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"There is a fine line between clever and stupid" David St. Hubbins "This Is Spinal Tap" "Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle
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