tom,
Preparing for war also means you skirmish somewhere from time to time so you don't get put in the "paper tiger" category. Because if your opponents think you won't fight - "they are worms" I believe a certain historical figure said - your arms have no deterrence value.
Go back over Brit history from 1920 to 1940 again, and in depth to get a idea of why the Axis Powers thought they could get away with it.
You not only need arms. You need an aggressive spirit.
Sucks? Tell me about it.
A step too far?
It cuts both ways. And just as with parenting getting the right balance is tricky and a matter of try it and see.MSimon wrote:tom,
Preparing for war also means you skirmish somewhere from time to time so you don't get put in the "paper tiger" category. Because if your opponents think you won't fight - "they are worms" I believe a certain historical figure said - your arms have no deterrence value.
Go back over Brit history from 1920 to 1940 again, and in depth to get a idea of why the Axis Powers thought they could get away with it.
You not only need arms. You need an aggressive spirit.
Sucks? Tell me about it.
Take Iran: there are people there convinced that the evil West wants to destroy them. People who are just belicose and want a fight regardless. And people who want peace.
Bit like the similar division in the US.
The lines are not fixed, and which group has most traction varies with politics.
The best policy for Iran must be firm containment of aggression: but how you do that is always a judgement call.
A couple of links for Tom.
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=9355
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2012/ ... icity.html
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=9355
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2012/ ... icity.html
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —
— Lord Melbourne —
Tom,
The Salafist Muslims are spreading. That is not positive.
Mirror image thinking is a trap. Maybe their motives do not entirely correspond to yours.
It is always unwise to assume that since we are past that sort of thing they are too.
The Salafist Muslims are spreading. That is not positive.
Mirror image thinking is a trap. Maybe their motives do not entirely correspond to yours.
It is always unwise to assume that since we are past that sort of thing they are too.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.