Neville Chamberlain = John Baker???

[raptor10]

Awesome video, the right side needs more stuff like this to drown out the stupid.

 

[Brett327]

Awesome video, the right side needs more stuff like this to drown out the stupid.

Good spot, but I don't think that's quite what Baker/ISG is getting at. IMO, the recent trend towards diplomatically ignoring our adversaries doesn't make much sense. I understand the whole, "Meeting publicly with the US gives their rogue nation undeserved legitimacy" argument, but I think there's a value in dialog, even if it's just to sell them the hard line. I read Baker's memoirs last year - we need the kind of velvet hammer approach to diplomacy he brought working for us today.

Brett

 

[snake020]

I understand the whole, "Meeting publicly with the US gives their rogue nation undeserved legitimacy" argument, but I think there's a value in dialog, even if it's just to sell them the hard line.

Ya, just look how well the "you're not legit" approach worked with the People's Republic of China for the first 30 years of their existence. Nixon finally came along and recognized China, thus allowing WalMart to keep low prices, always (of course I read that in the history books, maybe A4s can enlighten me about what things were really like back then)

 

[A4sForever]

Is your gent from the thread title ..... "John" (sic) Baker .... the erstwhile brother of James (sic) Baker ...???

 

[pourts]

Good spot, but I don't think that's quite what Baker/ISG is getting at. IMO, the recent trend towards diplomatically ignoring our adversaries doesn't make much sense. I understand the whole, "Meeting publicly with the US gives their rogue nation undeserved legitimacy" argument, but I think there's a value in dialog, even if it's just to sell them the hard line. I read Baker's memoirs last year - we need the kind of velvet hammer approach to diplomacy he brought working for us today.

Brett

Of course diplomacy is a tool of international affairs that should always be available in our toolbox, but we all know that the Iraq Study Group report was a complete farce, full of truisms and wishful thinking.

 

[squorch2]

We do?

 

[Brett327]

We do?

I'm sure he's read the report cover to cover.

Brett

 

[Flash]

Awesome video, the right side needs more stuff like this to drown out the stupid.

What a juvenile piece of junk, much too simplistic look at history and the current situation. I have to wonder about a guy whose directing credits include Scary Movie 3 & 4, an awfully long way from Airplane!

I have to give some credit to James Baker, he seems to have a much more realistic view of the situation in the Middle East. Not exactly an appeaser either, just ask the Kuwaitis.......

 

[HercDriver]

Good spot, but I don't think that's quite what Baker/ISG is getting at. IMO, the recent trend towards diplomatically ignoring our adversaries doesn't make much sense. I understand the whole, "Meeting publicly with the US gives their rogue nation undeserved legitimacy" argument, but I think there's a value in dialog, even if it's just to sell them the hard line. I read Baker's memoirs last year - we need the kind of velvet hammer approach to diplomacy he brought working for us today.

Brett

Agree 100%. I have tremendous respect for him and the big picture view he brought to the table.

pourts...quick and dirty...how was the ISG report a farce?