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Trump and Putin had 'good' talk about ending Syria war, White House says

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I'm not saying that the US has a perfect history in foreign policy. But I would rather have the US playing the role of global super power than a dictatorship like Russia or China.

What if I told you that regardless of what we might call our actions,

This:
the US playing the role of global super power

Produces the same results as this:
a dictatorship like Russia or China.

In terms of international destabilization.

Some taking both sides are the same to a global scale, man. It's crazy.

In some cases, we're worse. Which country wins the "most governments overthrown in the last 20 years" award? Or the "most foreign civilians killed" award?
 

Valhelm

contribute something
You're not sure about whether you would want a flawed DEMOCRACY as the global super power as opposed to actual DICTATORSHIPS like Russia or China?

Our foreign policy isn't very democratic. Trump bombed Syria on a whim, without even consulting our representatives in congress.

But historically, internal government structure hasn't had a huge impact on foreign policy. There's some evidence to suggest democracies are slightly less bellicose, but the brutality of the US empire shows aggression the flag of liberal democracy can be just as destructive as aggression under a totalitarian flag.

Our policy has installed and supported innumerable dictators, empowered reactionaries across the world, destroyed dozens of legitimate democratic governments, and wrought great horrors upon a good portion of the world's countries.

d3bf2426de.png
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
But you aren't answering my question. How do you think a "safe zone" would be enforced when Assad decides to start bombing that "safe zone"?

You can enforce "safe zones" without shooting at Russian soldiers. Especially if the safe zone project is a join USA-Russia operation to begin with. And it's definitely a lot different than droning and bombing the shit out of the entire country.

What about our Track record with Turkey for decades? What about our track record with successfully helping Europe rebuild after World War 2? Why can't such a strategy work in the Middle East?
The military industrial complex makes too much profit from war and conflict. Find a way to make peace profitable, and then I'll have more confidence that it'll be different.
 

BlitzKeeg

Member
Nothing like a good talk

*meanwhile...*

*more things explode in Syria*

"Would it be so bad for us to get along with Russia?"

*another hospital full of refugees is blown to pieces*

"A possible cease fire in the works."

*50 tomahawk missiles are shot to bolster approval ratings*

Fuck these guys.
 

HvySky

Member
Yeah, because the source I trust most to be truthful of US and Russian relations is the fucking White House.
 
Our policy has installed and supported innumerable dictators, empowered reactionaries across the world, destroyed dozens of legitimate democratic governments, and wrought great horrors upon a good portion of the world's countries.

d3bf2426de.png

Wait, when did we try to assassinate the leader of France?
 
Our best hope is that any agreement keeps jihadists out of power and leads to a democratization process.
Not happening, all that's going to happen is that we leave Assad alone so long as he gives up the use of chemical weapons. Trump will most likely want to distance himself from getting involved too deeply with the conflict and turn the responsibility over to Putin as well as seeking inoffensive policies towards Russia's interest in Syria.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Wait, when did we try to assassinate the leader of France?
There is not enough evidence to know for sure.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/16/general-de-gaulle-cia-assassination-plot-1975

According to the newspaper in an exclusive copyrighted story that indicates no sources or dateline, a CIA officer travelled to Capitol Hill within the past fortnight to brief Senators and Congressmen on the kind of stories they can expect to unearth when they read the Rockefeller Commission’s censored (by President Ford) section on political assassinations; and what to expect when the two congressional select committees begin to investigate the subject.

In the secret briefing, the CIA man reportedly told the Congressmen that French dissidents – the Algerian connection was not mentioned, but the plot was allegedly hatched after the failure of the 1961 and 1962 OAS attempts on the General’s life – had made contact with the CIA in 1965 and 1966.

At the time, the Johnson administration was less than happy with de Gaulle, who was by then an ardent opponent of the Vietnam war, and had thrown US servicemen out of French military bases.
 
Trump and Putin. Yes, certainly from among all the world leaders of the past half century, these are the two who will come up with a viable plan for stabilizing the Middle East.
 
What if I told you that regardless of what we might call our actions,

This:


Produces the same results as this:


In terms of international destabilization.

Then you would be flat out wrong considering that the western world has been very stable for decades thanks to thing like NATO and the Marshall Plan.

Our foreign policy isn't very democratic. Trump bombed Syria on a whim, without even consulting our representatives in congress.

Democracy doesn't literally mean that every foreign policy action has to be taken up to a vote.

But historically, internal government structure hasn't had a huge impact on foreign policy. There's some evidence to suggest democracies are slightly less bellicose, but the brutality of the US empire shows aggression the flag of liberal democracy can be just as destructive as aggression under a totalitarian flag.

And when that foreign policy appears to have fucked up publicly, it tends to lead to backlash in elections. Look at reaction to LBJ for Vietnam and reaction to Bush for the Iraq war.

My point is that with a democracy as the world's superpower, there is at least SOME accountability from that super power's voters. Meanwhile there is no such accountability for Russia or China.

Our policy has installed and supported innumerable dictators, empowered reactionaries across the world, destroyed dozens of legitimate democratic governments, and wrought great horrors upon a good portion of the world's countries.

d3bf2426de.png

And when did I say that the US's FP history was perfect? But you are kidding yourself if you think that it wouldn't be even worse with Russia or China taking the US's role.

You can enforce "safe zones" without shooting at Russian soldiers. Especially if the safe zone project is a join USA-Russia operation to begin with. And it's definitely a lot different than droning and bombing the shit out of the entire country.

Except that if it involves Russia, then it's guaranteed to be useless safe zones that don't include places like Aleppo where Assad and the Russians are bombing civilians.

The military industrial complex makes too much profit from war and conflict. Find a way to make peace profitable, and then I'll have more confidence that it'll be different.

That doesn't answer my question. Why can't a Marshall Plan work in the Middle East?
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Then you would be flat out wrong considering that the western world has been very stable for decades thanks to thing like NATO and the Marshall Plan.

I'm talking about recently. The world isn't the same as it was back then. You can't look at that and ignore the conflict and destabilization we've spread around the world since then.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
That doesn't answer my question. Why can't a Marshall Plan work in the Middle East?

The military industrial complex makes too much profit from war and conflict. Find a way to make peace profitable, and then I'll have more confidence that it'll be different.
 
I'm talking about recently. The world isn't the same as it was back then. You can't look at that and ignore the conflict and destabilization we've spread around the world since then.

And you know what we haven't had in a while? A Marshall Plan to help nations rebuild.

But overall, the west has been really fucking stable compared to the early twentieth century.

The military industrial complex makes too much profit from war and conflict. Find a way to make peace profitable, and then I'll have more confidence that it'll be different.

Peace is easily profitable. It's called free trade. Oh wait you guys hate free trade deals like NAFTA and TPP.
 

Valhelm

contribute something
You know, I am tempted to take this up, but if this what you guys believe, there's probably no real convincing you otherwise. Putin might be a good guy underneath it all, let's hope, I guess.

Nobody in this thread is pro-Putin. It's possible to hate both Putin and Trump at the same time!
 
Nobody in this thread is pro-Putin. It's possible to hate both Putin and Trump at the same time!

Well, there's no option that involves the United States shrinking its sphere of influence without China or Russia expanding their sphere of influence. Putin would never honor a "deal" that doesn't involve Syria becoming a Russian puppet state.
 
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