[Rhodes22-list] Religious Tolerance

[brad haslett]

So as not to offend Bill, please accept the following
correction to my earlier post.

"year of our Lord" should read "year of the horse". 
Beginning Saturday, February 1, 2003, it will be "year
of the goat".  Thank you.

Brad Haslett
--- bberner@optonline.net wrote:
> 
>    Of course though, being an atheist, opposed to
> pretty much all forms
>    of organised religion (though not spirituality),
> I do have to take
>    exception to your use of the phrase "year of our
> lord".
> 
>    BB
>    Bill Berner
>    v: 914.478.2896
>    f: 914.478.3856
>    e: BBerner@optonline.net
> 
>    ----- Original Message -----
> 
>    From: brad haslett <flybrad@yahoo.com>
> 
>    Date: Thursday, January 30, 2003 11:25 am
> 
>    Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Rebuilding Iraq was
> State of the Union
> 
>    > Mark your calendars! On this day, January 30,
> year of
>    > our Lord, 2003, I find myself in agreement with
> Bill
>    > Berner on something. This is surely a sign from
> the
>    > heavens; the end is near!
>    >
>    > Bill is right, we'll have to stay in Iraq for a
> long
>    > time to achieve any lasting, positive effect on
> the
>    > region. For and indepth article on the subject
> read
>    > James Fallows, "The Firty-First State",
> Atlantic
>    > Monthly, NOV 2002.
>    >
>
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/11/fallows.htm
>    >
>    > For the record I regretfully accept that taking
> out
>    > Saddam is a necessity. Every trip to China I am
>    > saddened that FDR and Truman didn't listen to
> General
>    > Stillwell and force a two party system there
> after
>    > WW2. The USA has a historical record of
> "fighting the
>    > good fight" and then not following up with the
> long
>    > term commitment necessary for lasting peace. We
> did
>    > it in Japan and Germany, we'll have to do it
> again in
>    > the Middle East. Truman was able to fund the
> Marshall
>    > Plan during a sagging post war economy. Our
> challenge
>    > will be no less.
>    >
>    > Brad Haslett
>    > --- bberner@optonline.net wrote:
>    > >
>    > >
>    > >
>    > > Alex -
>    > >
>    > >
>    > > I cnouldn't disagree with you more on getting
> out
>    > > of Iraq as soon as
>    > > the war is over.
>    > >
>    > > For the record - I am against a war on Iraq
> at
>    > > this time. However,
>    > > based on the SOTU speech, it seems like a
> pretty
>    > > sure thing.
>    > >
>    > > At any rate, if the US or some coalition wer
> eto
>    > > go in, remove Saddam
>    > > and some generals, and then pack up and
> leave,
>    > > there would be chaos.
>    > > Tribal fighting and genocide would surely
> result.
>    > > Now that's a
>    > > scenario that is ripe for increasing religous
>    > > fundamentalism, hatrred
>    > > of the US, and increased terorism
>    > >
>    > > On the other hand, a major long term benefit
> of
>    > > getting rid of Hussein
>    > > is the chance to try to enable a democracy to
>    > > grow and take hold in
>    > > Iraq, that might spread to Saudi Arabia and
>    > > Kuwait. The way this
>    > > could occur, admittedsly over many years, is
> that
>    > > democracy in Iraq
>    > > would lead to greater education, equal
> rights,
>    > > and the resulting
>    > > increase in economic opportunity for a large
> part
>    > > of the population.
>    > > Citizens of other Arab countries, witnessing
>    > > this, would press for
>    > > democratization in their own countries.
>    > >
>    > > The final benefit would be a depowering of
>    > > religous fundamentalist
>    > > extremists, and lessening the likelihood of
>    > > terrorism in western
>    > > countries.
>    > >
>    > > Short sighted foreign policy has been a major
>    > > contributor to the mess
>    > > we find ourselves in today with both our
> enemies
>    > > (at least this
>    > > decade) and allies. Your prescrikption to
> kick
>    > > soime Iraqi ass and
>    > > get the hell out, would only add perpetuate
> the
>    > > problem and add fuel
>    > > to the terrorist fire.
>    > >
>    > > BB
>    > > Bill Berner
>    > > v: 914.478.2896
>    > > f: 914.478.3856
>    > > e: BBerner@optonline.net
>    > >
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