Taxation or Tumbrels
17 minutes ago
Sunday, October 7, 2012
From small beginnings are world wars started
Turkey and Syria are exchanging fire across their border. In the big scheme of things, it really shouldn’t amount to much. At worse, it should only escalate into a limited border war between second string players.
However, there’s the issue of treaties. Turkey is a NATO member. An attack on one member is considered an attack on all. Syria and Russia also have agreements. What should only be a small regional conflict has all the potential for turning into a much wider war.
Nobody learns the lessons of history. This situation reminds me of the years leading up to WWI. For years the great powers avoided major wars. Over time all of them developed a series of agreements and treaties. Once the spark was lit, things escalated quickly. Yes, things are different this time. They always are, but it’s close enough to cause concern.
Normally the big players are wise enough to back away from the abyss -normally. There are enough miscalculations, accidents, ambition, and nut job leaders to push countries over the edge. For example, the US could pressure Turkey to call for NATO help, thus toppling the Syrian government. Russia, feeling stronger than it has in the recent past, yet beset by domestic issues, might feel it advantageous to draw the line at Syria. Then there’s China off to the side, holding a few trump cards of their own.
George Washington, when the US was young, warned against foreign entanglements. He was a wise and prescient man. Of course, nobody listened.
-Sixbears
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"...nobody listened."
ReplyDeleteNo-one ever does.
Indeed they don't.
DeleteAnother damn good post Sixbears.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a large audience that reads you.
Nobody does listen.
Nobody ever has.
And if someone did listen, accidently, they wouldn't hear.
And if again, they did hear something, they'd forget it...
Thank you.
DeleteOne can't but hope for some wisdom to get passed down the ages. Everyone thinks it's different for them.
And post WWII no one listened to the admonitions of Eisenhower about the military industrial complex.
ReplyDeleteEisenhower was about as clear as a man could get. He was in a position to know. Some of us remember his words.
DeleteFrom the first bop on the head by a caveman, humans have always wanted to destroy the other guy. Why? Will it ever end?
ReplyDeleteI think there's also a very strong trend for people to cooperate rather than fight. We wouldn't have gotten anywhere if all that drove us was the will for destruction.
DeleteOf course, it has always been easier to break than build.
Wisdom will never prevail: no profit for the power players. As to the poor shmucks in the trenches, I think the Christmas Truce at Belleau Wood showed us the true nature of man. It's the psychopaths in charge that create "enemies"...
ReplyDeletePeople usually get along pretty good at the one on one level. At worse there's the occasional bloody nose.
DeleteOnly when we get nations and leaders do we get flattened lands and poisoned waters.
the ones whom have listened to great wisdom are never selected as this nations leaders for they make no profits for those whom look at wars as a moneymaker
ReplyDeletewe would have been better off drinking tea and saluting the queen while the union jack flutters in the breeze....
Wildflower
Maybe, but I have a real alergy to royalty. If England wants to keep their pet royals, that's their business. I'd rather keep alligators -prettier and of a nicer disposition.
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