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Cheese Sandwich

(9,086 posts)
1. Overall a pretty good statement
Tue Nov 24, 2015, 02:39 AM
Nov 2015

There are a couple of parts I can nitpick but I agree with 95% of it.

On point 2 in the document does it seem to somewhat mistake the relationship between the US and the gulf kingdoms as "coddling", where they commit abuses but we want access to oil so we let it slide?

Partially it is that, but does that mistake where power really lies? Is more real to say the relationship is that of a dominant power to a client state where actually the states there are so interdependent on the US military-industrial-oil-complex that they are barely distinguishable from it as separate entities with different interests. The interests of the Saudi government and Exxon mobile are so connected and similar that to a rough approximation their interests are identical.

Maybe it's just a different way of saying the same thing.

On point 5 it's still favoring this idea of regime change in Syria by echoing the call 'Assad must go'. Even though he's a disgusting dictator, I think maybe it's time to back away from that because that particular call is actually a huge obstacle to any peace process such as the ones you guys are calling for in this same document. The Russians and Iranians have to be part of any peace arrangement and they are in there defending the Assad government. Assad is fighting ISIS so if you are focused on getting rid of Assad then ISIS benefits. I think the document has that internal contradiction but I'm not sure if maybe some of the anti-Assad lines are just rhetoric that people felt compelled to throw in so nobody would think they were defending the dictator.

But overall it was actually good and I agree 95%.

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Overall a pretty good statement Cheese Sandwich Nov 2015 #1
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