Constine/Xahar/Intermoderate Foreign Policy Debate
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 11:39:43 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Forum Community
  Forum Community (Moderators: The Dowager Mod, YE, KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸)
  Constine/Xahar/Intermoderate Foreign Policy Debate
« previous next »
Pages: 1 [2] 3
Author Topic: Constine/Xahar/Intermoderate Foreign Policy Debate  (Read 4920 times)
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #25 on: July 27, 2009, 09:40:30 AM »

Very good.  Xahar, Ben, any thoughts?
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #26 on: July 27, 2009, 10:40:03 AM »

NATO is a military extension of the United States, and cannot really be used for any other purpose. At this point, it lies dormant, and there is little it can do until a nation (let's call it "Russia") is both strong enough and stupid enough to challenge the United States militarily. Until then, its primary purpose is expansion, so that when "Russia" becomes a threat, it will be militarily isolated. Obviously, as the dominant nation, the United States can and must take the lion's share of responsibility for NATO if it wants it to be of any use.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #27 on: July 27, 2009, 02:06:19 PM »

Unless intermoderate wants to rebut Xahar, we will wait for Ben's response and move onto the next topic, Afghanistan.  (Still formulating the wording of the question)

Sorry that the first topic turned out kind of dull.
Logged
Meeker
meekermariner
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,164


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #28 on: July 27, 2009, 02:39:49 PM »



C'mon, c'mon... you know what we're all waiting for...
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #29 on: July 27, 2009, 04:01:37 PM »



C'mon, c'mon... you know what we're all waiting for...

Yes, and like any showman, I know not to put the star attraction on first.
Logged
k-onmmunist
Winston Disraeli
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,753
Palestinian Territory, Occupied


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #30 on: July 27, 2009, 05:49:15 PM »

Could I participate in one of these debates sometime?
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #31 on: July 27, 2009, 06:21:08 PM »


Master thread's here: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=85096.0

Find a partner and go for it!

Anyway, back to our participants: Ben Constine is late with his reply, so we will move to question 2.  He can put a paragraph or whatever on NATO into his next answer.

Anyway:

2:  Since October of 2001, the US-led coalition has had an increasingly heated battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.  Do you view the war in Afghanistan as making significant progress and how should the American government proceed in its dealings with its allies and with the governments and peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Logged
Kaine for Senate '18
benconstine
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 30,329
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #32 on: July 29, 2009, 09:29:34 PM »

For NATO, I don’t envision much of a change in overall purpose; NATO should still serve as a military arm of the United States and Europe.  Instead of fighting Communism, though, NATO should fight Islamo-Facism.  Islamo-Facism is an even greater threat to us in 2009 than Communism was in 1949, and NATO needs to be used to its fullest to combat its spread.

The United States’ role needs to be that of the leading force in NATO.  It should be the primary agenda setter; determining where NATO troops should be sent – Afghanistan, at this moment, perhaps Iran eventually, etc.  The United States also needs to pressure the European Nations to increase troop levels, as well as to expand.  I would not mind seeing NATO become a “League of Democracies”, so to speak, with every major democracy contributing troops, regardless of geographic location.

I’ll have an answer of Afghanistan tomorrow.
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #33 on: July 30, 2009, 01:01:55 AM »

"Islamo-fascism" is a meaningless term.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #34 on: August 03, 2009, 12:34:43 AM »

Revival time!  We are here with Round 2 of this epic debate.  Question is still Afghanistan.
Logged
King
intermoderate
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,357
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #35 on: August 03, 2009, 12:52:46 AM »

Afghanistan is must-win and potentially a better project for establishing an American-flagship pawn in Asia.  It is also potential a new frontier for cheap, uneducated, exploitable labor--in case China and India start asking too many questions.

In all seriousness, I think the best thing for this country would be to give it a strong socialist government.  I don't like the idea of socialism in America as much as the next guy, but in all honesty, the only way people will be on our side is if we give them things that make them like us and only a big government could provide such services.  Tribal leaders, who are really the only ones capable of defeating the Taliban because of their knowledge on the ground, would gladly defend a government that would build hospitals, schools, project housing, etc. in their towns.  It certainly wouldn't cost more to build these institutions than it does to fund major military endeavors there.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #36 on: August 03, 2009, 05:38:10 PM »
« Edited: August 05, 2009, 10:17:06 PM by Private Willis »

Thank you, intermoderate.

This isn't going well, is it?

Might as well skip to the main attraction.

A few years back, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer caused quite a bit of a stir by arguing that American foreign policy was being unduly swayed by a strong Israel lobby including Jews and Christian Zionists, and that this lobby was distorting rational Mideast policy.  Do you agree that US policy towards Israel/Palestine is adversely affected by pro-Israel American special interests and, if so, how would you redirect policy if completely freed from lobbying interests?
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #37 on: August 05, 2009, 08:44:16 PM »

Bump. Can't answer now; Internet limited. I'll be back on Saturday.
Logged
Kaine for Senate '18
benconstine
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 30,329
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #38 on: August 05, 2009, 09:35:05 PM »

I'll take my time before answering this; meaning I'll let Xahar go first.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #39 on: August 05, 2009, 10:18:27 PM »

Bump. Can't answer now; Internet limited. I'll be back on Saturday.

Fair enough...I'll have limited access until Sunday.

I Just noticed that the image in my sig doesn't work.
Logged
DownWithTheLeft
downwithdaleft
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 18,548
Italy


Political Matrix
E: 9.16, S: -3.13

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #40 on: August 06, 2009, 08:57:08 PM »

This very well may be the most boring debate in the history of the Atlas.  I need to get involved with one of these
Logged
King
intermoderate
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,357
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #41 on: August 06, 2009, 11:16:39 PM »

This very well may be the most boring debate in the history of the Atlas.  I need to get involved with one of these

You can take my spot if you want.
Logged
DownWithTheLeft
downwithdaleft
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 18,548
Italy


Political Matrix
E: 9.16, S: -3.13

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #42 on: August 07, 2009, 07:54:27 AM »

This very well may be the most boring debate in the history of the Atlas.  I need to get involved with one of these

You can take my spot if you want.
No, it's not your fault, Xahar and Constine are just two of the most boring people and they aren't even jabbing at each other
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #43 on: August 07, 2009, 05:52:15 PM »

Has anyone else here actually read the Walt/Mearsheimer paper?
Logged
King
intermoderate
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 29,357
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #44 on: August 07, 2009, 06:07:25 PM »

This very well may be the most boring debate in the history of the Atlas.  I need to get involved with one of these

You can take my spot if you want.
No, it's not your fault, Xahar and Constine are just two of the most boring people and they aren't even jabbing at each other

You can still take my spot.

I'm done with this one.  I agree it needs flavor.

Flavor only DWTL can bring.
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #45 on: August 11, 2009, 02:15:48 PM »

I feel that the War in Afganistan has made significant progress, but that to some extent it is unwinnable.  Ideals cannot be forcibly exported. The current governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan are jokes (particularly the latter), but it is our lot to support them, and in Pakistan in particular, the war is more conventional than is the norm for modern war. I have no problems with the current approach.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #46 on: August 11, 2009, 02:19:35 PM »

Good, now answer the Israel Lobby question.

Smiley

(BTW, I find myself in almost 100% agreement with the preceding statement on Afghanistan, for what it's worth)
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #47 on: November 17, 2009, 04:14:27 PM »

I think that it's clear that this Israel lobby exists and has a large influence. Public figures speak to AIPAC all the time; no other organization lobbying for a foreign country would be able to do that without accusaitons of treason being tossed about. This is an example of the parasitic relationship between Israel and the United States.
Logged
The Mikado
Moderators
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,677


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #48 on: November 17, 2009, 04:59:41 PM »

You did not just bump this thread after a quarter of a year.
Logged
jokerman
Cosmo Kramer
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,808
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #49 on: November 17, 2009, 05:51:35 PM »

Excellent Smiley
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.044 seconds with 11 queries.