Posts by DexterX
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In response to Simon -
Eichmann was working for Mercedes Benz in Argentina at the time - WW II was well over, it is a different world now.
The moral gulf between them and "us" you are talking about is Nazis and "us" – that is still huge IMHO.
What to expect from Israel is an open question - The choice for Israel is covered in this article:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-must-choose-between-peace-and-a-racist-state-1.359742The other articles on Haaretz.com and posted responses are worth more than a glance.
In response to Neil
The Obama administration is more flexible in pursuing goals than previous administrations..
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Treating the body of OBL with respect shows the incredible degree of planning and awareness that went into the mission and securing the outcome.
There is an astute awareness of foreign policy considerations and diplomatic outcomes.
The USA under the Obama administration are different, that astute awareness incorporates a high degree of flexibility in foreign policy and diplomacy. Depending on what or who it is America are dealing with they will act differently in the pursuit of their goals.
The mission to kill OBL can be seen as part of a wider foreign policy initiative, that if the US is going to again attempt to broker a peace in the Middle East they also have to have the support at home for a perceived “massive” change in foreign policy direction, and perhaps getting OBL out of the way in the mind of the American people is part of allowing the shift to occur.
I’m more interested in what happens next than who funded what yonks ago, and if Obama gets a second term then the books that he and Hillary Clinton write will be worth a read.
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Hard News: You know what ..., in reply to Sacha,
No, OBL recived funding from the US & Saudi.as stated by Simon.
Your "wit" doesn't extend to expressing a counter view.
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Hard News: You know what ..., in reply to Bart Janssen,
I just can't see OBL hanging out with Elvis.
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Hard News: You know what ..., in reply to Sacha,
No not in the future - The Clinton, Bush and Obama administration have all seen the creation of a Palestinian state as the solution. Without the moderating influence of the US the Middle East would be a war zone – it would be a lot worse.
The Obama administration have been taking Netanyahu head on. The last direct talks that Netanyahu had with Obama in 2010 ended with no photo op – the we are shaking hands and making progress shot. I read somewhere that Obama refused to be photographed with him and would not agree to release a press statement, let along a joint one.
It is my opinion that the US, particularly in the wake of Cyclone Katrina and the GFC, doesn't have the budget to continue to fund Israel to the degree it seems to need adn this will be a consideration particularly when the Aid doesn’t solve the problem - the solution I mentioend above.
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Hard News: You know what ..., in reply to Sacha,
There is a different US foreign policy direction; I don't think that Obama is joking or the USA are a joke.
The Obama administration and Netanyahu were at logger heads for much of 2010.
Clinton took a 4 part ultimatum to Israel early 2010, which the USA want Israel to follow.
From 2008 through to now America have asissted with a training program for PASF (Palestine Authority Security Froces) . All this is done under the Roadmap to peace obligations.
I feel that if Israel doesn't get with 'it" and Obama gets a second term Israel will find the relationship more strained and US Aid will be much reduced.
The Obama administration is different, they look at the goal and then change the game as part of the work to realise that goal; they are not playing the same old game the same way, getting nowhere and shouting about it.
IMHO the World needs Obama to get a second term.
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In relation to Osama’s death, I think good job and not before time. As if he was going to go and live in a cave, his hiding in a million-dollar three-story mansion is classic as is the Bush adminstration inability to find him.
Osama over played his hand in grand fashion and it is likely even he didn't expect the twin towers to crumble as they did, his likely end game was to rule the gulf states and then the world as the realisation of some god complex.
Simon mentioned Israel - my opinion is that the US stance on Israel is akin to keeping a fierce beast on a chain; the US is the chain and Israel the fierce beast. Without the US pulling Israel back as it does and also having a moderating influence on the Gulf States it would become a conflagration that would endure decades into the future – a war without end.
A major foreign policy goal of the Obama adminstration is brokering a peace pact between Israel and Palestine and that peace will eventually involve recognising a Palestinian state.
I would like to see Obama get a second term and maybe this helps.
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The Media in NZ are pretty short on fact and info, they only serve as a flag on an issue and if you want to know more you read an informed blog or do the research yourself.
"But it is difficult to know Hone's true motivations in going, and in going now.”
The best way to find out what Hone thinks or why he is doing something would likely be to ask him - to me he seems pretty straight up.
I am willing to listen to what he, the party, will have to say, much more than say Dr Brashkenstein or Goff.
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Thanks for the post.
On the matter of war generally, “the first casualty of war is the truth” and then after that it is women, children and the elderly in considerable number.
With the matter of NZSAS handing over prisoners for “torture” by "allies" as reported, I have to say that “there is no right way to do something wrong”.
It is troubling that both the Nats and Labs lack a moral compass, though not unexpected.
Politicians are mostly incapable of being honest; and this incapacity has nothing to do with what the question was or what is an honest or truthful answer.
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The Shanks speech is proof that there are too many people in the house with not enough to do and what they do do they do very poorly - I was waiting for her to mention "Obama Bit Laden" or “Obama Bytes Bin Laden”.
There should be 80 seats in parliament 70 electorate and 10 list seats and Shanks does not deserve one.