Can Someone Explain to Me Why . . .

[Guns Network Staff]

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so evil in Libya, Syria and Iran that we denounce the leaders of these regimes and impose economic embargo's on these countries, while . . .

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so wonderful in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and and Jordan that we embrace the leaders of these regimes as good friends and partners, our President greets and visits with these leaders, and we sell them weapons and arms to help them oppress their people?

[abpt1]

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so evil in Libya, Syria and Iran that we denounce the leaders of these regimes and impose economic embargo's on these countries, while . . .

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so wonderful in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and and Jordan that we embrace the leaders of these regimes as good friends and partners, our President greets and visits with these leaders, and we sell them weapons and arms to help them oppress their people?


the only thing relative is what they can do for us or our politicians.

[Cypher]

It's easy... because they said so.

[Krupski]

......totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so evil.........

That's easy. The answer is OIL.

[mriddick]

Syria does not seem included in any "evil list" I can find by our government regardless of killing well over a 1000 civilians recently. In fact I think we are still courting the leadership there. Syria has little oil so it must go deeper then the standard "they got oil" response...

I would go so far to say that what Syria is doing right now makes anything that went on in Libya look tame yet we are somehow convinced we can turn them.

[O.S.O.K.]

I think the answer is that they don't know what the hell they are doing. Hilary isn't what I'd call a foreign policy expert - ditto for Joe Blow.

[Joey]

Can Someone Explain to Me Why . . .

I can. It goes back the Kirkpatrick Doctrine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkpatrick_Doctrine). Vile regimes on our side are authoritarian. Vile regimes not on our side are totalitarian. See?


The Kirkpatrick Doctrine was the doctrine expounded by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick in the early 1980s based on her 1979 essay, "Dictatorships and Double Standards".[1] The doctrine was used to justify the U.S. foreign policy of supporting Third World anti-communist dictatorships during the Cold War.[2]

Kirkpatrick claimed that states in the Soviet bloc and other Communist states were totalitarian regimes, while pro-Western dictatorships were authoritarian ones. According to Kirkpatrick, totalitarian regimes were more stable and self-perpetuating than authoritarian regimes, and thus had a greater propensity to influence neighboring states.

[alismith]

Realistically, we have no business interferring with the governments in any of those countries. What if the shoe were on the other foot and a bunch of countries decided to band together (like NATO) and carry out airstrikes against our government until we capitulated and went with authoritarian rule, or theocratic rule? I have an idea we would be wondering why they aren't minding their own businees and leaving us to mind our own.

We had no business entering Libya.

I can see attacking a country that is a direct, or indirect, threat to us, but not one that has very few dealings with us.

Oh, GNS, you forgot to mention China in your list of regimes that suppress freedom and democtraitc reform.

[Focused Gunfire]

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The world is filled with dirt bag people, and places run by them. We are not Atlas, we can not hold the world up. At least not for long. If you want to move people against you, try and change things. So for stability sake, we kneel down and talk to rats.

[LAGC]

That's easy. The answer is OIL.

Yup.

Our "good friends" Saudi Arabia and company sell us oil on favorable terms, Libya et. al. not so much. Until regime change happens and a nice puppet government can be put into place that is. Then the oil will flow freely and cheaply, or so our corporate masters hope.

[sevlex]

Yep, Joey, the Kirkpatrick Doctrine is academic proof of the old saying: "He may be a sonofabitch, but at least he's OUR sonofabitch."

:coffee:

[1 Patriot-of-many]

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so evil in Libya, Syria and Iran that we denounce the leaders of these regimes and impose economic embargo's on these countries, while . . .

. . .

totalitarian regimes that suppress freedom and violently oppose the people's protests for democratic reforms are so wonderful in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and and Jordan that we embrace the leaders of these regimes as good friends and partners, our President greets and visits with these leaders, and we sell them weapons and arms to help them oppress their people?

Don't forget China, both the R's and D's fell all over giving most favored trading status... Thanks GW right after they stripped our plane and held our troops hostage.....