Muse – Miscellaneous Thoughts

Cooperation from ‘Rogue States’

Another thing that amuses me is when people argue about issues such as nuclear proliferation, in regards to North Korea and Iran, and act as if compliance from these countries is such a simple, easy thing to do.

It’s obvious that these people don’t grasp the pure and likely primary reason they don’t just roll over whenever the US snaps its fingers. What is that reason?

They don’t trust us.

It’s pure and simple. Think about it from your own angle. You’re leader of a relatively small nation with some manner of illicit program(or perhaps not and everyone thinks you have one) and a bigger nation pressures you to do away with it. They even make a few promises to do things for you if you do.

Now consider. This larger nation will hardly leave you alone after it gets its way. After all, you mistreat your people. You don’t have a good human rights record and said nation is big on poking people with that stick. So even if you agree to their terms, you’ll still have them on your ass over other things. Not to mention the nation has a history of screw ups and outright dropping of agreements peppering its history.

Obviously leaders of countries like North Korea and Iran have no real reason to give in to the US yet. Especially North Korea, which has few if any friends. Provided they do get rid of their nuke program, do you really think the US is just going to smile and turn away to deal with other stuffs, leaving little Kim to continue running his little kingdom how he sees fit?

Nope.

Consider this the next time someone acts as if simple compliance is just the easiest thing in the world to do.

Carving up Iraq

Yet another instance where we forget to consider both history and human nature in divining plans. It has been suggested by a diarist I peek at now and then that we slice up Iraq and hand out slivers of it to the neighbors surrounding it. A plan elaborated by Michael Savage, of all people.

Ignoring the source, the plan is a bad one. For one, what about Iraqi nationalism? Iraq may have been arbitrarily created decades and decades ago by carving up the Ottoman empire, but people have been living in the country for long enough that they feel a strong sense of nationality. Do you think the people of Iraq would sit idly by while the US carves up and distributes their country?

Is that democracy? I don’t think so. Hardly an example to set for them and considering the Shia have just started to get into power, they won’t take kindly to having that power ripped away by nation carvers.

Not to mention, would anyone think that Syria, Iran, et al would neatly go through such a process? Sure, people come right to the table when land is involved, but watch your fingers. They’ll likely spend months, if not years fighting over the scraps. Even should the people of Iraq be little issue in a plan like this, the process itself would be Hell’s circus.

Beyond that, we don’t have any right to carve up a supposed sovereign nation. They are that now, aren’t they? Bush says so. The last think the US needs is to make itself look the overbearing ogre by going back on our word to set Iraq on its feet by ripping it into pieces and passing them out.

Honestly, I can’t believe, especially at this point in time, that anyone would think a plan like this is a good idea. Part of me hopes that Savage suggested it in jest, but giving what I know of the man, I doubt it.

To sum it up, the plan is sure to cause far more trouble than it solves. As flawed and uncertain as it is, our current course is currently the best, though it’s being mismanaged and fumbled even now. As much as I’d like us to pull out of Iraq, we have to stay there for various reasons, or suffer some stuff consequences. Of course, even if we stay we could still suffer them anyway.

Let this whole event and timeline be a lesson to the next president who decides it’s time to get his war on. Evaluate carefully and decide reluctantly. And for goodness sake, plan and prepare before you attack and be ready to hold the country together afterward.