Originally posted by 99SEinLivonia: Sean, not all conservatives think that all liberals are worse than Hitler. The problem is that they seem to think Hitler 'just didn't do it right' and that they can do better. This is dangerously oblivious.
The most basic and important fundemental difference I have found between your philospohy and mine is that the typical liberal has no undertanding of either reality or historical precedent. In other words, liberals believe they can change the world for the better using the same methods that have been proven dangerously wrong before.
To believe that you can do the same exact things that have been done before and get different results time after time is one definition of insanity.
Well I believe we live in a different world that we used to and we need new methods. I do not believe throwing money at a problem is the solution (the No Security without Development, no Development without Security argument that I was pushing, taken from Common Foreign Security Policy head Javier Solana) but I do not believe they would just throw money at something. One must remember that Euros have had much to much war and they are kind of done with it. Indeed, I spoke with an Austrian tonight who tried to tell me that the US went to Iraq to get Oil, clear spurious reasoning. I believe we live in a different world and in spite of this the Bush admin has not look at the lessons learned in Vietnam. The lessons learned there were to have an exit strategy, Vietnam told us that there would be people resisting us and the admin didn't plan for this and many other things. Iraq was an issue but the way we handled things was done in the wrong manner. (Keep in mind currently Iraq is the issue with regard to the Euro-Ami split) Even with Afghanistan Euros had a problem with out handling of prisoners and our HR violations. Sure we are in a time of "war" (which will seeming never end, Terrorism is a method of getting heard or fighting, there is no ending people trying to do this) but everyone really has a right to a trial.
I am not forgetting the past but it seems that admin is forgetting the past ('Nam) but they are also failing to see that this is a different world that the US cannot simply invade or use force with to get what it wants. The problem is the Euros envision a world where they have an equal mouthpiece to the world that the US does and the US sees a world where it remains the sole super-power. This clashes with the Euro liberal ideal, plus with the fact that they are not as powerful as us I am no longer trying to give a solution, I am trying to understand the problem. It is indeed so complex that I felt it would be healthy to live here. Davo thinks it is toxic but if it is how could I really understand the rift that has grown between Europeans (or even the rest of the world) and the US. Sorry for the slight rant/explanation but I am a bit drunk.
I am no longer trying to give a solution, I am trying to understand the problem. It is indeed so complex that I felt it would be healthy to live here. Davo thinks it is toxic but if it is how could I really understand the rift that has grown between Europeans (or even the rest of the world) and the US. Sorry for the slight rant/explanation but I am a bit drunk. 
