Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Yup again.
Andy McCarthy again. NRO again. Ipse dixit again.
The Kurds should have been our chief ally from the start. Of course, that should have happened in 1990 as well, which gives us even more reason to do it this time -- at the very least we should give them everything they want in the reformed Iraq.
As you might expect, FDR knew how to handle a similar situation. Sicily broke loose from Mussolini, and we used them as a fulcrum to work on the rest of Italy. Here's a bit from Chat 25, July 1943. Again as you might expect, Roosevelt did not try to distinguish the 'moderate' and 'pure' forms of Fascism from the 'militant' forms. They're all bad, and all need to be eradicated from the earth.
So our terms to Italy are still the same as our terms to Germany and Japan -- "unconditional surrender."
We will have no truck with Fascism in any way, in any shape or manner. We will permit no vestige of Fascism to remain.
Eventually Italy will reconstitute herself. It will be the people of Italy who will do that, choosing their own government in accordance with the basic democratic principles of liberty and equality.
...
We are already helping the Italian people in Sicily. With their cordial cooperation, we are establishing and maintaining security and order -- we are dissolving the organizations which have kept them under Fascist tyranny -- we are providing them with the necessities of life until the time comes when they can fully provide for themselves.
Indeed, the people in Sicily today are rejoicing in the fact that for the first time in years they are permitted to enjoy the fruits of their own labor -- they can eat what they themselves grow, instead of having it stolen from them by the Fascists and the Nazis.
Given my perceptual-filter problem with Bush speeches, it's possible that he has made a similar point about the Kurds and I didn't hear or register it. Somehow I doubt it, though. Emphasizing the civilized nature of the Kurds would have hurt the feelings of Arab savages. Can't have that.
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Update: Ledeen says the Kurds are thoroughly happy with the new Constitution. If the Kurds are happy, I'm happy!
¶ 7:34 AM
The Kurds should have been our chief ally from the start. Of course, that should have happened in 1990 as well, which gives us even more reason to do it this time -- at the very least we should give them everything they want in the reformed Iraq.
As you might expect, FDR knew how to handle a similar situation. Sicily broke loose from Mussolini, and we used them as a fulcrum to work on the rest of Italy. Here's a bit from Chat 25, July 1943. Again as you might expect, Roosevelt did not try to distinguish the 'moderate' and 'pure' forms of Fascism from the 'militant' forms. They're all bad, and all need to be eradicated from the earth.
So our terms to Italy are still the same as our terms to Germany and Japan -- "unconditional surrender."
We will have no truck with Fascism in any way, in any shape or manner. We will permit no vestige of Fascism to remain.
Eventually Italy will reconstitute herself. It will be the people of Italy who will do that, choosing their own government in accordance with the basic democratic principles of liberty and equality.
...
We are already helping the Italian people in Sicily. With their cordial cooperation, we are establishing and maintaining security and order -- we are dissolving the organizations which have kept them under Fascist tyranny -- we are providing them with the necessities of life until the time comes when they can fully provide for themselves.
Indeed, the people in Sicily today are rejoicing in the fact that for the first time in years they are permitted to enjoy the fruits of their own labor -- they can eat what they themselves grow, instead of having it stolen from them by the Fascists and the Nazis.
Given my perceptual-filter problem with Bush speeches, it's possible that he has made a similar point about the Kurds and I didn't hear or register it. Somehow I doubt it, though. Emphasizing the civilized nature of the Kurds would have hurt the feelings of Arab savages. Can't have that.
-----
Update: Ledeen says the Kurds are thoroughly happy with the new Constitution. If the Kurds are happy, I'm happy!
¶ 7:34 AM
