Reply #33: What is the fetish with the "West" [View All]

[alcibiades_mystery]

Attacks on the West? Whatever.

The point is that the logic of communist expansion, as imagined by decision-makers in this mythical and sacrosanct "West," was a trope to justify all sorts of military adventurism, just as the logic of the "terrorist threat" today justifies all manner of nastiness and nonsenses. And if the logic seemed so clear then, we might wonder exactly what seems so clear about our logic now that is as faulty as our logic was then.

As for whether the emergence of a "terrorist State" akin to the Taliban would necessitate further military intervention, that sort of thing has to be decided on a case by case basis. In any case, such an emergence is not a foregone conclusion, nor is it a foregone conclusion, should it happen, that military intervention would be the most useful form of approach.

Finally, there will never be a "state" or "government" in Iraq of any legitimacy so long as we continue the occupation. That's virtually a given. And any future dealing with Iraq (or the tri state) would have to be accomplished through intermediaries in any case, as we have ZERO in the way of ethical footing to deal with it. We should pay reparations to a global body or series of NGO's in order to build a wall between US policy and the Iraqi state(s). Our conflicts of interest are so great as to constitute a stumbling block to any fair dealing. We are the villain here, and the criminal does not go over to the victims house to drop off checks of restitution.