The Next Quagmire

[Maestro]

Source: Truth Dig

The Next Quagmire
By Chris Hedges

The most effective diplomats, like the most effective intelligence officers and foreign correspondents, possess empathy. They have the intellectual, cultural and linguistic literacy to get inside the heads of those they must analyze or cover. They know the vast array of historical, religious, economic and cultural antecedents that go into making up decisions and reactions. And because of this—endowed with the ability to communicate and more able to find ways of resolving conflicts through diplomacy—they are less prone to blunders.

But we live in an age where dialogue is dismissed and empathy is suspect. We prefer the illusion that we can dictate events through force. It hasn’t worked well in Iraq. It hasn’t worked well in Afghanistan. And it won’t work in Iran. But those who once tried to reach out and understand, who developed expertise to explain the world to us and ourselves to the world, no longer have a voice in the new imperial project. We are instead governed and informed by moral and intellectual trolls.

Read more: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070903_the_next_quagmire/

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Chris Hedges nails the profile of the idiots "leading" our country. Diplomacy is only something that was once done since these arrogant, war-mongering neocons have usurped power here. He paints a very bleak picture of the next quagmire and its consequences, but his assessment of the neocon thinking is spot-on.

[applegrove]

1. Well said.

[Maestro]

7. I thought so too.

Hedges did a good job reminding everyone of just how far down the neocons have brought the US.

[MasonJar]

2. Right now America is a very "ugly" nation. It is not a place I like being

from and in. Please we must have a Democratic Congress and President.

[Maestro]

8. I'm ashamed to be considered American

when many see Americans through the eyes of * and other neocons. It's as if I have to say, "I'm American, but..."

[Demeter]

13. The Worst Part About the Ugliness Is It Looks to Be More Than Skin Deep

just in my neighborhood I have met so many people who seem a bubble shy of plumb as far as empathy, humanity, or whatever you want to call it with regards to their neighbors, their neighbors' pets, their neighbors' children, even their neighbors' GARDENS!

Where does it stop?

[Maestro]

14. Luckily for me, my neighborhood is not that way

but in general, I certainly can see it this bad in the US. Where does it stop? I couldn't tell you but it is going to stop only when our government starts showing my intelligent thought and actions and begins to show empathy and care for fellow humans.

[Demeter]

16. My Sister Says It's the Greed

and since the GOP ran a GREED campaign for the past 30 years, I guess it finally sank into the fabric of society like red dye in the carpet. All FDR's work to bring the commonwealth into public office is finally dissipated.

[Stuckinthebush]

17. Ugly indeed

When I find myself recoiling at some dude waving the American flag, I know that American means something totally different to me than it used to. If I feel this way - a born and raised southern American - just imagine what the rest of the world feels when they see the American brand. Disgust.

There are two paths ahead of us: One continues down this foolish imperialistic route that George and the GOP set us, and the other tries to pull back and become what we think America has been and should be. It will take a lot of "I'm sorries" from the next President to the world and it will take a lot of critical introspection by the citizens of the US. I don't have much hope that this will happen. We are a nation of fools who have come to believe that might makes right.

It makes ones stomach churn.

[Demeter]

3. Kick the Trolls Give the 5th Rec!

[Maestro]

9. Definitely!

and thanks.

[gordianot]

4. Create your enemy!

This is the Bush administration only talent in the political, military, diplomatic, and cultural realm. The next mess is just one more.

[Maestro]

11. I don't think they

could function without an enemy.

[EVDebs]

5. Jonathan Kwitny's Endless Enemies (1984) described the same thing

http://www.namebase.org/sources/FI.html

[Maestro]

10. That books sounds interesting

but I am not surprised to see that this is nothing new. I studied Latim American affairs in college and the meddling the US did down there is just sickening and of course the book shows more meddling in Africa and the fiasco that was Iran with the Shah for which many neocons blame Jimmy Carter, at least the hostage part of it, but really all that pent up rage is from previous administrations' meddling.

[LibertyorDeath]

6. Excellent article....Thanks..

Rec!


"But then what? We don’t have the troops to invade. And we don’t have anyone minding the helm who knows the slightest thing about Persian culture or the Middle East. There is no one in power in Washington with the empathy to get it. We will lurch blindly into a catastrophe of our own creation.

It is not hard to imagine what will happen. Iranian Shabab-3 and Shabab-4 missiles, which cannot reach the United States, will be launched at Israel, as well as American military bases and the Green Zone in Baghdad. Expect massive American casualties, especially in Iraq, where Iranian agents and their Iraqi allies will be able to call in precise coordinates. The Strait of Hormuz, which is the corridor for 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, will be shut down. Chinese-supplied C-801 and C-802 anti-shipping missiles, mines and coastal artillery will target U.S. shipping, along with Saudi oil production and oil export centers. Oil prices will skyrocket to well over $4 a gallon. The dollar will tumble against the euro. Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon, interpreting the war as an attack on all Shiites, will fire rockets into northern Israel. Israel, already struck by missiles from Tehran, will begin retaliatory raids on Lebanon and Iran. Pakistan, with a huge Shiite minority, will reach greater levels of instability. The unrest could result in the overthrow of the weakened American ally President Pervez Musharraf and usher into power Islamic radicals. Pakistan could become the first radical Islamic state to possess a nuclear weapon. The neat little war with Iran, which few Democrats oppose, has the potential to ignite a regional inferno.

We have rendered the nation deaf and dumb. We no longer have the capacity for empathy. We prefer to amuse ourselves with trivia and gossip that pass for news rather than understand. We are blinded by our military prowess. We believe that huge explosions and death are an effective form of communication. And the rest of the world is learning to speak our language."

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20070903_the_next_quagmire

[Maestro]

12. That part on the possible consequences

if we attack Iran is scary.

[LibertyorDeath]

15. It could easily get a lot worse than what Hedges describes

History is full of unintended consequences....