My thoughts and hopes on 12 September were that the US would take the sensible option of treating this as a police matter, rather than bombing thousands of innocent Afghanis simply as a revenge move.
Some hope.
Of course then I didn't know that plans had already been made to invade Afghanistan. I note that you refer to the illegal invasion of Iraq, but make no mention of the equally illegal bombing of Afghanistan. I suppose that was the start of Bush Inc's decisions to make US and International Law "quaint". There was no UNSC permission to start an unprovoked war there, neither would such a sanction have been granted.
And what I foresaw then was that American actions would infest the rest of the "first" world and that is exactly what has happened. Just about every European government has moved to the right, we (the UK) and Spain have suffered terrorist attacks which would otherwise not have occurred, and the world has been forever changed for the worse.
As for the restoration of your Bill of Rights, give me a break. Historically far-right (and indeed others of a different stripe) never give back what has been taken. Never. And although I hear much from Americans, both friends and not, about taking rights back the Police State you have permitted to come into being is way ahead of you.
It's astonishing - but consistent, I suppose - how short-sighted and arrogant the Israeli position is. They have been plainly in the wrong since the incident took place, and a lot of this trouble could have been short-circuited if they'd bitten the bullet at that time. To sacrifice their previously excellent relationship with Turkey is asinine.
The longer this drags on the worse things will get. Israel boasts of being the only democracy in the region, so I couldn't agree more that the voters need to show how they feel at the ballot box.
Substantial numbers of Israelis are emigrating from Israel as it is, which just means that the Palestinians will achieve a parity in population numbers that much more quickly.
This is not a matter where ostrich-like behaviour is likely to be rewarded.
I do understand the American difficulty with polysyllabic words. I also understand the American fixation with showing scant respect to other countries even, it seems, those who have assisted the United States in this insane adventure.
Richard F Miller: Thank you for your reply and that link. I wasn't aware of the degree to which differences within Shas affected the party so that's one reassuring fact. I thought the last point made by Amsalem was most interesting. It's good to see that there are moderates even within Shas.
So far as Shas is concerned, the fact that makes them relevant is that they hold 11 seats in the Knesset, and are therefore a political force in Israel.
Ron, I'm glad that for whatever reason the shine has gone off the first ever use of atomic bombs on Japan which, did you but know it, was done for political reasons (to scare the USSR) rather than for the tactical considerations always mooted.
You may like to check out the reports of the US Strategic Bombing Survey published in 1946 to see their postwar findings.
That's humans for you. We kicked out Churchill at the first opportunity after the War.
I do take exception to your claim that Truman, like, won World War II. If you are, as I hope, referring specifically to the Pacific theatre please have the decency to say so. We are tired of being told how Americans saved us all from having to learn German.
I am really not very happy with your throwaway dismissal of our "minimal and backward efforts, particularly since you then go on to mention that this is the world's biggest wind farm.
Although the aim in due course is to have 6,000 onshore turbines and 4,000 on sea, the problems are that (a) onshore turbines are noisy and ruinous of the landscape (bear in mind that we are a small country with limited space) and (b) cost.
The UKERC have calculated that the cost per unit of energy – known as a Megawatt hour – over the 25 year lifespan of the farm is expected to be £149. That compares with £80 for coal and gas, and £97 for nuclear power.
We are world leaders in wind generation, but at the moment we seem unable to capitalise on that because 80% of the turbines have to be imported - we need to be able to produce more ourselves. In effect UK consumers are subsidising Danish and German wind energy companies.
For the first time ever, Prof Cole, I find myself shaking ny head at one of your blog entries. You of all people know that Karzai has always been corrupt, is corrupt now and will remain corrupt just as long as the US is dishing out the cash. Which it does in equal measure to Karzai, the warlords and the Taliban.
As for "whether the Obama administration can plausibly hope to stand up a stable government" you know that's not going to happen. There isn't even the remotest chance of that happening. As an Englishman I deeply resent the way that as members of NATO we have been roped into throwing away British money and lives - again - in that ungovernable country. Karzai just about has control of Kabul, and nothing else.
You say"NATO should not have allowed Karzai to steal the presidential election" but that is utterly disingenuous. NATO does what it's told, and it has no business being in Afghanistan anyway. It's understandable that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, but do you really want us to believe the US cannot carry its own water?
This whole mess is stupid anyway. Started by PNAC and Bush to get revenge on the Taliban, it's an exercise in spreading American influence; it has damn-all to do with the fine-sounding BS that America now retails as installing democracy. Just like Iraq, and we've all seen how that turned out. In fact many of us saw how that would turn out before the USAF bombed Dora Farms.
If Washington wasn't so subject to corruption itself, and if politicians would stop worrying about a two-year election cycle, then maybe something could be done. In the absence of that, you've got yet another Vietnam coming.
What an interesting use of the word 'nonsense'. And what a patronising person you must be, to comment thusly when you have no knowledge of the circumstances regarding the decision. For your information the USSR played an equal part in stopping the tripartite aggression following Egypt's decision to nationalise the Canal. I would suggest that you do a little reading before dismissing history out of hand, especially as you probably weren't around at the time.
"Wag the Dog", anyone?
My thoughts and hopes on 12 September were that the US would take the sensible option of treating this as a police matter, rather than bombing thousands of innocent Afghanis simply as a revenge move.
Some hope.
Of course then I didn't know that plans had already been made to invade Afghanistan. I note that you refer to the illegal invasion of Iraq, but make no mention of the equally illegal bombing of Afghanistan. I suppose that was the start of Bush Inc's decisions to make US and International Law "quaint". There was no UNSC permission to start an unprovoked war there, neither would such a sanction have been granted.
And what I foresaw then was that American actions would infest the rest of the "first" world and that is exactly what has happened. Just about every European government has moved to the right, we (the UK) and Spain have suffered terrorist attacks which would otherwise not have occurred, and the world has been forever changed for the worse.
As for the restoration of your Bill of Rights, give me a break. Historically far-right (and indeed others of a different stripe) never give back what has been taken. Never. And although I hear much from Americans, both friends and not, about taking rights back the Police State you have permitted to come into being is way ahead of you.
It's astonishing - but consistent, I suppose - how short-sighted and arrogant the Israeli position is. They have been plainly in the wrong since the incident took place, and a lot of this trouble could have been short-circuited if they'd bitten the bullet at that time. To sacrifice their previously excellent relationship with Turkey is asinine.
The longer this drags on the worse things will get. Israel boasts of being the only democracy in the region, so I couldn't agree more that the voters need to show how they feel at the ballot box.
Substantial numbers of Israelis are emigrating from Israel as it is, which just means that the Palestinians will achieve a parity in population numbers that much more quickly.
This is not a matter where ostrich-like behaviour is likely to be rewarded.
Joining in slanging matches now, are we? Dear oh dear.
I do understand the American difficulty with polysyllabic words. I also understand the American fixation with showing scant respect to other countries even, it seems, those who have assisted the United States in this insane adventure.
Please note there is no such country as Holland. North and South Holland comprise two of the districts of the Netherlands.
Its use is akin to people outside the United States referring to the Deep South as America - in other words, a synecdoche.
I don't see or hear anyone complaining about the Tokyo tree which was valued at $10.8 million.
Have a small-minded and jealous Christmas, haters.
Interesting that you regard the USA as an island. I wonder if the Canucks have anything to say about that.
Richard F Miller: Thank you for your reply and that link. I wasn't aware of the degree to which differences within Shas affected the party so that's one reassuring fact. I thought the last point made by Amsalem was most interesting. It's good to see that there are moderates even within Shas.
So far as Shas is concerned, the fact that makes them relevant is that they hold 11 seats in the Knesset, and are therefore a political force in Israel.
Why should they leave? It's their country, after all. You're just saying might is right.
Ron, I'm glad that for whatever reason the shine has gone off the first ever use of atomic bombs on Japan which, did you but know it, was done for political reasons (to scare the USSR) rather than for the tactical considerations always mooted.
You may like to check out the reports of the US Strategic Bombing Survey published in 1946 to see their postwar findings.
That's humans for you. We kicked out Churchill at the first opportunity after the War.
I do take exception to your claim that Truman, like, won World War II. If you are, as I hope, referring specifically to the Pacific theatre please have the decency to say so. We are tired of being told how Americans saved us all from having to learn German.
Mullen's mistaken when he says North Waziristan is the epicentre of terrorism; that would be Langley.
I am really not very happy with your throwaway dismissal of our "minimal and backward efforts, particularly since you then go on to mention that this is the world's biggest wind farm.
Although the aim in due course is to have 6,000 onshore turbines and 4,000 on sea, the problems are that (a) onshore turbines are noisy and ruinous of the landscape (bear in mind that we are a small country with limited space) and (b) cost.
The UKERC have calculated that the cost per unit of energy – known as a Megawatt hour – over the 25 year lifespan of the farm is expected to be £149. That compares with £80 for coal and gas, and £97 for nuclear power.
We are world leaders in wind generation, but at the moment we seem unable to capitalise on that because 80% of the turbines have to be imported - we need to be able to produce more ourselves. In effect UK consumers are subsidising Danish and German wind energy companies.
Kudos too, to the interviewer who made a point of NOT referring to the building as the 'Ground Zero Mosque'.
For the first time ever, Prof Cole, I find myself shaking ny head at one of your blog entries. You of all people know that Karzai has always been corrupt, is corrupt now and will remain corrupt just as long as the US is dishing out the cash. Which it does in equal measure to Karzai, the warlords and the Taliban.
As for "whether the Obama administration can plausibly hope to stand up a stable government" you know that's not going to happen. There isn't even the remotest chance of that happening. As an Englishman I deeply resent the way that as members of NATO we have been roped into throwing away British money and lives - again - in that ungovernable country. Karzai just about has control of Kabul, and nothing else.
You say"NATO should not have allowed Karzai to steal the presidential election" but that is utterly disingenuous. NATO does what it's told, and it has no business being in Afghanistan anyway. It's understandable that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all, but do you really want us to believe the US cannot carry its own water?
This whole mess is stupid anyway. Started by PNAC and Bush to get revenge on the Taliban, it's an exercise in spreading American influence; it has damn-all to do with the fine-sounding BS that America now retails as installing democracy. Just like Iraq, and we've all seen how that turned out. In fact many of us saw how that would turn out before the USAF bombed Dora Farms.
If Washington wasn't so subject to corruption itself, and if politicians would stop worrying about a two-year election cycle, then maybe something could be done. In the absence of that, you've got yet another Vietnam coming.
What an interesting use of the word 'nonsense'. And what a patronising person you must be, to comment thusly when you have no knowledge of the circumstances regarding the decision. For your information the USSR played an equal part in stopping the tripartite aggression following Egypt's decision to nationalise the Canal. I would suggest that you do a little reading before dismissing history out of hand, especially as you probably weren't around at the time.