Remarks of Zbigniew Brzezinski - very cogent and frank observations

[baby_bear]

This is a speech he gave last week -- long but worth the time to get through it.

http://www.centerforamericanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?cid={E9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03}&bin_id={9F92BF4B-1E80-45E3-AFC8-F1672CFC4A4C

<snip>
Since the tragedy of 9-11 which understandably shook and outraged everyone in this country, we have increasingly embraced at the highest official level what I think fairly can be called a paranoiac view of the world. Summarized in a phrase repeatedly used at the highest level, "he who is not with us is against us." I say repeatedly because actually some months ago I did a computer check to see how often it's been used at the very highest level in public statements.

The count then quite literally was ninety-nine. So it's a phrase which obviously reflects a deeply felt perception. I strongly suspect the person who uses that phrase doesn't know its historical or intellectual origins. It is a phrase popularized by Lenin (Applause) when he attacked the social democrats on the grounds that they were anti-Bolshevik and therefore he who is not with us is against us and can be handled accordingly.

This phrase in a way is part of what might be considered to be the central defining focus that our policy-makers embrace in determining the American position in the world and is summed up by the words "war on terrorism." War on terrorism defines the central preoccupation of the United States in the world today, and it does reflect in my view a rather narrow and extremist vision of foreign policy of the world's first superpower, of a great democracy, with genuinely idealistic traditions.
...
We have actually experienced in recent months a dramatic demonstration of an unprecedented intelligence failure, perhaps the most significant intelligence failure in the history of the United States. That failure was contributed to and was compensated for by extremist demagogy which emphasizes the worst case scenarios which stimulates fear, which induces a very simple dichotomic view of world reality.

I think it is important to ask ourselves as citizens, not as Democrats attacking the administration, but as citizens, whether a world power can really provide global leadership on the basis of fear and anxiety? Can it really mobilize support and particularly the support of friends when we tell them that if you are not with us you are against us?
...
Today for the first time our commitment to idealism worldwide is challenged by a sense of security vulnerability. We have to be very careful in that setting not to become self-centered, preoccupied only with ourselves and subordinate everything else in the world to an exaggerated sense of insecurity.


</snip>

much, much more....he also goes into the Israeli/Palestinian issues and uses much historical perspective. I've never been a particular fan of Zbig, but this is certainly interesting, and challenging.

s_m

[Petrodollar Warfare]

1. Excellent article...

...even I too was not a big Zbig fan after his 1997 book "The Grand Chessboard." He really seems to stress the need for a strong US/EU relationship and giving authority over to Iraq as soon as possible. This is a good article, and he even made a movie rental suggestion, which I might do this weekend (The Battle for Algiers)

[baby_bear]

2. Good point, GoreN4

I'm going to rent that video as well.

I'm glad someone read my post! I really found it provocative and comprehensive. Should be required reading for all high school and college history, civics and political science classes, IMHO.

Pass it along if you know someone else that would read it. I don't know too many, unhappily.

s_m