cloudboy
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Joined: 12/14/2005
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quote:
Are you trying to engage in any type of intellectual discourse. or are you only interested in an intellectual game of "gotcha"?
I would request that you consider how you come across. There almost seems to be an assumption of stupidity, ignorance, and/or criminality on the part of anyone who may disagree with you. Perhaps this is a false impression on my part, but I'd request that you consider the possibility as well.
In the interests of maintaining a civil discourse:
1. You are free to assume whatever you wish, however, I do not necessarily accept any of the premises that go into making up your syllogisms . A discussion of just those issues would engage a thread all it's own, I think.
2. I said no such thing. My exact words were:
I think in the Middle East, that almost all the anti-American forces were convinced that the "hollow Americans' would elect Kerry, and cut and run.
If you can not decipher the difference between what I actually said, and what you attribute to me, then obviously we have a communications problem of the first magnitude.
3. In certain situations, for certain things, yes. I tend to stay away from categorical statements, however, which is what you are attempting to corner me into. No thanks.
4. There are plenty of answers for that. What's yours?
5. I'm glad you have "got it".
Firm
1. You remain evasive here. I never knew that budgeting and math in support of a policy constituted a "syllogism." For the record, I am not making "assumptions" here, instead I am looking to component parts of a policy. A "muscular foreign policy," whether it be a nuclear buildup (1960s), the Vietnam War (60s-70s), Star Wars-Nuclear Buildup (80s), or Invading distant lands (00s) costs a lot of money. By no coincidence each of these periods led to deficit spending with Reagan tripling the national debt and GWB doubling it.
So, if you want a muscular foreign policy, how would you pay for it? Is it a "syllogism" to ask you how our government might pay for its expenditures? Would you raise taxes, issue more debt, or cut spending elsewhere? What if Congress stopped you from cutting spending elsewhere? You get the drift.
2. I stand corrected here and apologize. I misread your post. I might just add two cents, however, which is that Democracies are not particularly suited to military imperialism because public sentiment often militates against war and its attendant costs. Hence your worry here over sustaining a protracting military action and policy is endemic to our system and not just the current political candidates. With that in mind, one might wonder if a "Muscular Foreign Policy" is really something the US can execute effectively. I would also suggest that being a democratic government constitutes a clearly identified limit that would rear its head in any war the US undertook. (To wit: Few if any Republican backed Clinton's policies v. the Serbs. The US avoided going into Rwanda because of Somalia. Bush-I did not invade IRAQ because he feared a long protracted quagmire. The US withdrew from Vietnam.)
3. Well, this question is related to #1. What kind of cost benefit analysis would you apply to using a "Muscular Foreign" policy. My position is that any military policy which undermines the fiscal health of the USA and gives too much influence and control over US policy to our debt holders --- should be avoided.
Put another way, military policies should not dig the USA into an economic sink hole.
4. Here you are dodging the question. You said, "Obama's "be nice" foreign policy would be a big set back to American credibility, just as we have built it up to a point of usefulness." What is his "be nice" foreign policy? You coined the term, so it seems you should be able to define it. (The fact is we don't exactly know what his policy is going to be. Christ, if we looked back at GWB in 2000, we'd have thought he was an isolationist opposed to nation building.)
5. Here you just answered the question.
< Message edited by cloudboy -- 8/7/2008 1:37:57 PM >
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RE: Obama and McCain - Neck and Neck - 
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