Wednesday, August 22, 2007

We Keep "screwing up" in Places like Vietnam & Iraq because we DO NOT accept the relevance of History

From The Australian, here, and Pat Lang's comments, here.

"... I thought we had learned not to push our "friends" this way. Ngo Dinh Diem's (Viet N) placid face and white suits should haunt us. We connived at his removal and no subsequent government achieved real legitimacy in the eyes of the Vietnamese (or us).We keep "screwing up" in places like Vietnam and Iraq because we (as a people) do not accept the relevance of history and cultural difference. We insists on believing people are all pretty much the same and that they will behave as we think we would behave. Nonsense ... Swapping" Maliki for someone else would be pointless... The groups will not share power and wealth amicably. In their minds that is simply arming and equipping one's enemies..."

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