[MD] Intellect battles the [immigrant] barbarians

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Arlo previously]
Even if I grant (which I don't) your noble concerns in containing Iran, the way
Reagan and the republicans went about it was deplorable and immoral.

[Platt]
So you don't think we should have contained Iran?  I wonder what the  Middle
East would be like today if Iran had defeated Iraq and occupied  that land. Of
course we may yet see that happen if the leftist strategy of "cut and run" from
Iraq becomes American policy.

[Arlo]
If you're intent on offering more proof of how you do nothing but distort,
you're doing a great job. First, I said I doubt we played the arms game out of
a "noble effort to contain Iran", but EVEN IF WE DID, the way we went about it
was immoral. But I love the "So you don't think we should have contained Iran?"
distortion. 

[Platt]
As for the immorality of war, I suggest you read Pirsig's views on  society's
role in keeping the biological  level under control, a role that intellectuals
often ignore. War is not for the dainty.

[Arlo]
We were not "at war". We supplied arms (including the means to deploy CHEMICAL
WEAPONS) to a brutal dictator, and all the while supplied arms to the
FUNDAMENTALIST REGIME with no regard to the thousands and thousands killed,
because it served our ECONOMIC interests to do so. If you consider that
"moral", then I think its obvious who needs to read Pirsig, perhaps you should
start with ZMM, the "path to enlightment".

[Arlo previously]
I've tried going down this road with you before. Its pointless to try to walk it
again.

[Platt]
I don't recall going down that road. Are you in favor of pulling out now? Or
giving terrorists a specified time for our withdrawal?

[Arlo]
You can read the archives as simply as I can.

[Platt]
What is the morality of surrendering a fledgling democracy to barbarians? I know
I won't get answers. 

[Arlo]
What would be the point if you did? If my reply had even a HINT of criticism of
the Morally Holy Republican Warriors of Freedom, all you'd do is engage in the
same crap that you do above.

But, what the hell. First I think at this point its obvious a unified Iraq is
impossible (can you say Yugoslavia?). So divide the nation into smaller
countries. Without the internal hatred among factions, each nation can secure
itself quicker and easier, and we can get our troops out of there sooner. Then
we turn back over to each nation, all rights, mineral and natural, within its
borders to that nation. Any further aid we give these countries should be in
the form of food, medical, educational and informational  resources- loan free,
but in the form of semi-permanent UN military bases along certain border
regions. I think given the sorry state of affairs at present, that's about the
best we hope for.