Ronald Reagan I think was one of the more successful of US Presidents, serving two terms on landslide Presidential Election victories and in 1984 came within a few thousand votes to becoming the only President to win all fifty states.
Yes, Reagan was old, but not completely past it. If the people who were in his administration won the Cold War, Reagan put them there. And Reagan's cabinet was not dissimilar from that of Nixon. Either way the US won the Cold War, and yes George Bush senior reaped the reward - but only for one term.
The main thing about Reagan was that he commanded a confidence in the American people, a President you could be comfortable with, in some ways like Franklin Roosevelt.
Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
- Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Reagan, being in Bush`s place, after 9/11 could and would have done A LOT BETTER! I was very dissapointed with Bush`s address to the Congress: I was expecting an historical speech, as FDR one after Pearl, some rethoric of the "day of infamy" or the Gettysburg Address but we only had a (late for sure) and ambiguous stance.
The enemy is a whole culture, he just pointed out single individuals he couldn`t caught so far. Individuals that had galvanized entire populations hearth and minds. Now his own generals had spoken that even the Afganistan situation is beyond military victory (because of the low scale of the conflict). The western intention to fight a "contained" and "limited" conflict could only lead to defeat (Vietnam?). The answer is another one, a conduct that is not sanctioned as "civilized" nowaday for western democracies. But it will come the time when it`s doing or dying and moral aspects would be forgotten.
The enemy is a whole culture, he just pointed out single individuals he couldn`t caught so far. Individuals that had galvanized entire populations hearth and minds. Now his own generals had spoken that even the Afganistan situation is beyond military victory (because of the low scale of the conflict). The western intention to fight a "contained" and "limited" conflict could only lead to defeat (Vietnam?). The answer is another one, a conduct that is not sanctioned as "civilized" nowaday for western democracies. But it will come the time when it`s doing or dying and moral aspects would be forgotten.
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill
Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Isuppose Karl that what you are advocating here is the George Wallace policy for winning the Vietnam War in 1968: ''pile it all on and bomb them back into the Stone Age.''
Well, with the political will and the firepower you can do this - but the enemy has a habit of coming back. It only works if the enemy can be defeated. An unwinnable war just goes on for ever.
I don't think intervention in Afghanistan was a particulary good idea, for this reason. Remove the Taliban from power yes, but get the Afghans to do it.
I also think from past experience that fighting a war against a religion just doesn't work. After thousands of years religions do not simply wither away, and I say that as an athiest.
Well, with the political will and the firepower you can do this - but the enemy has a habit of coming back. It only works if the enemy can be defeated. An unwinnable war just goes on for ever.
I don't think intervention in Afghanistan was a particulary good idea, for this reason. Remove the Taliban from power yes, but get the Afghans to do it.
I also think from past experience that fighting a war against a religion just doesn't work. After thousands of years religions do not simply wither away, and I say that as an athiest.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
- Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Genghis Khan defeated "Jihad" back in the Middle Ages. He had the will...
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill
Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Did he? When did he face a "Jihad"?
Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
And where is the great Mongol Empire today?
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
- Karl Heidenreich
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- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:19 pm
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Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Where is the Roman, Otoman or British Empire today?
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill
Re: Russian (Soviet?) war on Georgia
Believe it or not Britain does retain some colonial possessions:
Falklands
Belize
Diego Garcia
Various Antarctic territories, including South Georgia
Ascension, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic
Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)
and of course, Gibraltar.
Falklands
Belize
Diego Garcia
Various Antarctic territories, including South Georgia
Ascension, St Helena, Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic
Christmas Island (Indian Ocean)
and of course, Gibraltar.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.