Posted on 02/21/2008 6:35:03 PM PST by BGHater
This is not a proud moment for America, as the United States military has been used to invade a sovereign nation that threatened neither our security, nor even the borders of our allies or friends.
Yet, for an Administration enthralled with the notion of a paternalistic government that cares for everyone, everywhere, all the time, President Clinton's actions in Serbia should not be surprising. Just as this president believes he and his government can best order the lives of each American citizen (he recently said that Americans shouldn't be given a tax cut because they would not spend the money as wisely as he and his administration would), he is confident that he can solve the problems of the world. His track record suggests otherwise; despite the fanfare and speeches, there is still violence raging from the Middle East to Ireland -- all great "successes" for this president.
For as bad as the violence is toward the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, our ability to police and stop all ethnic fighting around the world is quite limited, and the efforts are quite simply not permitted under constitutional law. We do not even pretend to solve the problems of sub-Saharan Africa, Tibet, East Timor, Kurdistan, and many other places around the world where the violence is endless and just as tragic.
Most importantly, though is the simple fact that meddling in the internal affairs of a nation involved in civil war is quite dangerous. Both sides believe themselves to be correct, and neither side will appreciate the other side receiving assistance.
If anything, our involvement threatens to escalate the situation. No successful military action has ever -- or likely will ever -- involve only air power; ground troops must be involved. While a stealth jet will likely always escape the "primitive" weapons of the Serbs, a bullet aimed at a soldier can be very primitive, yet just as effective as the most modern of firearms.
Some argue the US is needed to stop the spread of war. Our presence will do the opposite. Peaceful and cooperative relations with Russia, a long-desired goal, are now greatly threatened. Our bombings are likely to provoke the Russians into now becoming a much more active ally of Serbia.
Our determination to be involved in the dangerous civil war may well prompt a stronger Greek alliance with their friends in Serbia, further splitting NATO and offending the Turks, who are naturally inclined to be sympathetic to the Albanian Muslims.
Contrary to his campaign slogan, President Clinton's actions are burning bridges to the 21st Century. The tragedy is that it will be our soldiers -- our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters -- who are trapped by these senseless actions, and it will be the innocent women and children of Serbia who will bear the brunt of the bombings.
Sympathy and compassion for the suffering and voluntary support for the oppressed is commendable, even honorable. But as history shows, ethnic peace is not achieved by outside forces committing acts of war to pick and choose sides in fighting that dates back hundreds of years.
The use of force and acts of war can only spread the misery and suffering, weaken our defenses, and undermine our national sovereignty.
This is not a proud time for the United States.
One month into a rat presidency and Ron Paul will be loved in these parts as much as he was here during the BJ Clinton years.
Well said.
Imagine if Paul were around on 07 Dec. 41.....we could have all gone back to sleep that Sunday morning; and today the world would be a paradise of paradises.
Dr. Paul, a PATHOLOGICAL IDIOT.
Did Serbia ever attack the US, like the Japs did?
Didn't you know? The Serbs are burning our embassy because they hate our freedoms.
If anyone tries to link President Bush's acceptance of an independent Kosovo with the embassy attack then they are traitorous kooks who are only spouting the propoganda of our enemies. There is no such thing as blowback. < /s >
They should also be thrilled with a divided Israel declaring independence and becoming Palestine, recognized by Europe and the Middle East.
I stands out like Nostrodamus. Stunning, before 9/11.
“warning adult language!”
No, you meant to say: Warning prison language!
“That said, burning our embassy was not wise.”
Seriously. That was an attack on our country and I would send apaches to mow down anybody besieging our embassies.
“No successful military action has ever — or likely will ever — involve only air power; ground troops must be involved. While a stealth jet will likely always escape the “primitive” weapons of the Serbs, a bullet aimed at a soldier can be very primitive, yet just as effective as the most modern of firearms.”
First time for everything.If memory serbs me correct,air power did in fact stop the conflict,no?
“That said, burning our embassy was not wise.”
Well we’ve never done much when people screw with our embassies in the past....Iran/Beruit/Kenya/etc....Seems like a safe bet.
True, but it does seem terribly ineffective.
Actually, the NATO attack on Serbia did very little damage to the Serbian armed forces. Most of the deaths were civilian.
It’s a curious thing that the press gave clinton a free pass for bombing civilians, but rabidly attacks Bush for the Iraq invasion, which caused less collateral damage, possibly, than any previous war. They even kept their mouths shut when he bombed the Belgrade TV station, which had been so hospitable to them. It was shameful. The current MSM war reporters are the anti-Ernie-Pyles.
Serbia finally gave in because we were starving and freezing their civilian population, bombing reservoirs and power supplies, destroying bridges, cutting off food supplies, destroying trains and apartment buildings. But it turned out that we never hit more than a few of their tanks, only cardboard models.
No, Ron Paul knows very little about the practicalities of war or, seemingly, anything else. He entirely lacks wisdom and prudence or any sense of the real world. But he was at least accidentally right in suggesting that clinton’s Yugoslav adventure was fought on the wrong side and against our national interest. A stopped clock. . . .
Somebody needs to call Bush’s attention to the spiraling dangers of what he has allowed to happen. Better a burned embassy than another Balkan war involving NATO and Russia.
I’m just glad no one was hurt. But if we continue on this course, people will be hurt.
Someone said earlier on this thread that burning an embassy is “an act of war.” Well, stealing a province from a sovereign state is also an act of war. And Kosovo is not just any province, it’s where Serbia was born in its desperate resistance to the Muslim invaders.
I agree.
....”All you conservatives who opposed Paul/Hunter/Thompson”....
I think you have that just a hair off. I know of no true conservatives who opposed either Duncan Hunter or Fred Thompson. In fact those two were the top two choices of those who do consider themselves to be true conservatives. Most correctly predicted that Hunter never really had a chance, but most were also surprised that Thompson did not do better.
And most of these same people dismiss Ron Paul in nearly identical terms. “Cut and Run/Anti-war/911truther nut”.
If you want to lump Paul in with two other politicians that share his views try Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha. His view on Iraq is identical to theirs.
PAUL’S A KOOK!
....”PAUL’S A KOOK!”....
First post you have ever made that I wholeheartedly agree with.
And how it does.
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