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Foriegn Policy Surprises Lie Just Around Corner; What the next president will lifely face
Topic Started: Oct 25 2004, 11:14 AM (474 Views)
teryt
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Missing in Action Member
Some very sobering thoughts regarding what to look forward to. My wife doesn't like the cold, but I think we'll take our new trailer & head as far north as possible. We have friends in Yellowknife, and I hear it's nice 3 months out of the year!

From this sobering article:
Quote:
 
Unforeseen crises often consume a president's foreign policy. Upon taking office, the first President George Bush did not expect an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait; Bill Clinton did not anticipate the amount of time he would spend on the Balkans. This does not mean that candidates, and voters, could not have seen trouble on the horizon.

Like terrorism in 2000, the 1988 situation in the Persian Gulf and the 1992 situation in the Balkans pointed to gathering peril. In 1988, the Iran-Iraq war was drawing to a close and the region was unstable; in 1992, Yugoslavia had begun its disintegration. But in each case, key decisions lay far in the future, and candidates focused on more pressing concerns.

  In the next four years, Bush or Kerry will face one of these situations: a military confrontation with one or both countries, the acceptance of one or two new nuclear-armed nations, or a peaceful resolution of differences with one or both nations that leads to their nuclear disarmament. It may be difficult to conceive, but an armed confrontation with North Korea or Iran could push terrorism off the front burner of U.S. foreign policy. Averting the possibilities of such confrontations, while halting nuclear proliferation, will not be easy.


Article - pretty easy read

So any ideas where we could move to? If Canada won't have us, there's always Steward's Folly I guess. :doh:
My Boast is Christ :pray:
Soon to have MBA (I'll perhaps be smart then)
Recovering Perfectionist
Christian Hedonist

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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Reluctant warriors, confronted, we tend to fight.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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jackd
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Member
The sky is not falling.
Your link says:
Quote:
 
"Unforeseen crises often consume a president's foreign policy...."
. Isn't partly why he occupies the seat?
If everything were foreseeable, we would not need people to make decisions (presidents or head of state). Every conceivable situations would be covered in the "world users' manual" and a simple PC would find and apply the solutions by the book.
Fortunately (or unfortunately in certain cases) human decisions are taken. Roughtly 50% of the world will say it was the right decision, the other half not.
There is certainly a little corner of Canada where you would find peace and happiness. ;)
JackD
Walk in front of me, you lead me,
Walk behind me, I lead you
Walk beside me, you are a friend.
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brewster
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Winemaker Extraordinaire
Tery;

About moving elsewhere;

A fairly long story, but it's true, and to the point. I think you'll enjoy it.

In approximately 1940, an American millionaire was reviewing the world situation, and it became apparent to him that the European War and the Japan-China were going to become the basis for a much bigger World War very shortly. He wanted no part of it, and resolved to move to the safest possible place.

Europe was out, of course, and the rest of Russia as well. The Italians were making big moves against Ethiopia, and threatening much of the rest of the continent. Japan and China were already at war, and if Japan went south, it could attack Hong Kong, Singapore, the Phillipines, and eventually down into Australia. In South America, the Germans were already moving into Argentina, and could easily threaten the rest. The only major Continent left was North America, but it was easy to envision giant German bombers attacking New York etc. withing a few years, especailly as it looked like England would fall shortly. On top of that, the Japanese could easily threaten the West from the Aleutians, or maybe Hawaii.

What he needed was some remote little tropical island, far off the shipping lanes, with no particular strategic value.

He chose Guadalcanal.
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Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
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olstuf
Bill
Guadacanal Diary should be required reading. It is a heck of a lot more realistic than the great hero John Wayne's movie called "Sands of Iwo Jima". I had a brother off shore onboard ship during part of it.
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teryt
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Missing in Action Member
Point taken Brewster! Still, some little piece of heaven around Hudson Bay . . . :lol:
My Boast is Christ :pray:
Soon to have MBA (I'll perhaps be smart then)
Recovering Perfectionist
Christian Hedonist

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TexasShadow
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Jane
there isn't really any place that's completely safe.
given some kind of warning as to just what the danger is..
we could look for places that are low in population, with good natural resources like water, edible animals/fish and plant life, and not too fierce weather...
I like reading world catastrophe stories. :)
my favorites are
Alas Babylon...nuclear war
and
Lucifer's Hammer....meteor strike
both groups of survivors are medium sized groups with a variety of skills/knowledge and a common desire to get along with each other for the sake of the whole community.
Posted Image "A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."
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Sea Hound
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and a common desire to get along with each other for the sake of the whole community.

If SOME of these boards are any indication, good luck getting together a group that "gets along"

In a week you would have half a dozen factions peering over barricades at each other.
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teryt
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Missing in Action Member
Sea Hound
Oct 25 2004, 08:48 PM
and a common desire to get along with each other for the sake of the whole community.

If SOME of these boards are any indication, good luck getting together a group that "gets along"

In a week you would have half a dozen factions peering over barricades at each other.

taint so! You take it back, or else!
My Boast is Christ :pray:
Soon to have MBA (I'll perhaps be smart then)
Recovering Perfectionist
Christian Hedonist

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Banandangees
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Escape to Canada? Is Canada going to be out of the fire zone whether it be militarily or economic. How often has Beddows stated that he comments on U.S. polititcs because U.S. decisions will undoubtedly affect Canada and therefore, he has a vested interest. Obviously as time goes by, GB will be a a EU member and most of it's people are like the rest of Europe now - against the U.S.. China/Asia will be a superpower, EU will eventually be a superpower and I think neither will put the UN's interests before their own. The UN is destined to insignificance. It's merely a toothless tool a present. North America should get it's geographical act together soon. Who are our down the road allies. I don't see the EU or China/Asia as allies. South America is potentless at present. Africa is as always. Maybe George Orwell's "1984" is in sight.
Banan
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cmoehle
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Chris - San Antonio TX
Banan,

The EU is against the US? Oh my, when did that happen? Was war declared, or is this another one of those shadowy undeclared undefined wars?

Also, given that the US is at present the strongest member of the UN, why would you insult your nation by calling it toothless?

Sometimes I hear things that just don't gel, and this is one.



Sea Hound, your point is on the mark. Madison, one of our founders, as you likely know, was concerned about the same factions tearing the new nation apart. But he had the ingeneous insight to set up a republic wherein each would have equal footing in political and religious matters in such a way they would cancel each other out.



But back to the question. It seems to me what you want in a leader is someone who neither jumps to faith-based conclusions or hesitates to ponder nuances, but someone, who is quick to think what the past has taught and quick to apply it in the present as he or she faces an unknowable future.
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
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pentax
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Kamloops - BC Interior
teryt
Oct 25 2004, 11:35 AM
Point taken Brewster! Still, some little piece of heaven around Hudson Bay . . . :lol:

Sorry to break it to ya, teryt - but there is no such thing as a "piece of Heaven" anywhere NEAR Hudson Bay....

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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"Kirk to Enterprise - Very funny, Scotty.... now beam down my clothes!"
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brewster
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Winemaker Extraordinaire
I dunno, Pentax, I seem to remember a little blonde when I was in the Air Force...
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Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
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TexasShadow
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Jane
Quote:
 
If SOME of these boards are any indication, good luck getting together a group that "gets along"


well, this is true, for sure.
it's a sad commentary re human character that it takes an outside threat of life and limb to bring a community together, and then only for the duration of the crises.

two traits work against us.
there are those who want to be top dog in the outfit
and many who are willing to let someone be the 'scapegoat'.
so we often/usually make our own tyrannies.
Posted Image "A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."
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telcoman
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If you're going to move here, better do it quick, the Canadian dollar is rising fast. It hit 82 cents US today. That 1.7 billion dollar a day additon to your foreign debt is starting to show. Some are predicting it will be at par within 2 years. Maybe that would be a good time to consider a common currency.
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