From: billb@owlnet.rice.edu (William Stenson Blackwell)
Subject: Re: [military] sending troops to the Middle East
Organization: Rice University
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 02:38:24 GMT

In article <1992Aug15.012511@IASTATE.EDU>, exodus@IASTATE.EDU writes:
[deletions]
|> Do you have any idea what the Middle East would look
|> 
|> like today had Bush taken to the isolationist-like stance that you seem to
|> 
|> support? 

Yes, very, very bleak.

 [deletions]

|> too long ago when people like yourselves were arguing against our sending
|> troops
|> 
|> abroad to help stop another ruthless dictator in Berlin. The same arguments
|> were
|> 
|> rampant then- 'how can we afford to do that when we're just recovering from a
|> 
|> major economic depression? Our domestic needs should come first!'. 

Hang on.  You're mixing up your arguments.  WWII brought us out of the GD,
not anything that FDR ever dreamed of in his alphabits.  If Saddam had gained 
control of the Middle East oil, then we would've faced an even more severe
depression.

|> 
|>  freedom has a price? You cannot afford to make exceptions,
|> 
|> not in any case. 

Bush seemed to be trying real hard in this case, until Clinton called him out
on it and out hawked Mr. Foreign Policy.

|>  The problems in Yugoslavia are a prime example of the chaos
|> 
|> that has resulted from the collapse of the Soviet Geo-Political Empire. It is
|> 
|> true that our national interests are not on the line here. Does that mean we
|> 
|> turn our backs? 

No, but what about the human rights violations that have been going on in 
Africa (not just the media-popular ones in SA).  What about Tiennamen (sp?)
square?  Should we have invaded China?  Heck, they have MFN status now.  
By making this emotional appeal, you have lost the answers to your questions
in your own arguments.  We have to make choices.  Let's not be unrealistic,
does half of the world's oil supply come from Africa? No.  Do we send troops 
in to settle their border disputes?  No.  Hmmm...interesting coincidence there.
If we had any hard intel, then the Balkans would be an almost ideal playground
for our special forces, SEALs, Green Berets, Marines, Rangers, etc.  It would
give them the ultimate in both Urban, Mountain, and Partisan warfare training.
But we will do nothing but send in a MEB (maybe) like we did in Beirut, and
bomb a few targets.  This may actually work if Bush doesn't make the same 
mistake that Johnson did, and not allow unrestricted bombing of Serbia.
Only time will tell.  You have to understand though.  Bush is in a quandary.
He wants desperately to go get Saddam, and get re-elected, but Serbia is 
probably a more pressing emergency.  If he does both, he's screwed.

Just my $0.02

PS: PLEASE keep your posts to under 80 columns and single spaced if you 
want responses.  BTW, just for the record, I do favor intervention, but
let's be honest about our motives ;-)

-- 
Bill Blackwell             P H P <==me!   "A just request is to be met
billb@owlnet.rice.edu     F L L F       in silence, by the act."
Houston, Texas, USA          8       -Dante Alighieri "Inferno" XXIV ln.77-78
"My opinions are mine, no one else is that stupid"
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