President George HW Bush wanted to avoid the problems we have experienced over the last decade by not eliminating Saddam Hussein.
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+1
Like it or not, strong leaders (yes, you can call them dictators) manage to “keep the lid on” in countries that are naturally unstable, due to differing religious factions and different ethnic groups in that country.
Just as Sadaam maintained control in Iraq (often by ruthless means), Tito managed to hold together his totally disparate nation of Yugoslavia. Once Tito died and Yugoslavia was split up, the bloodshed began.
Of course, a major part of the problem is when well-intentioned western nations decide to create countries with borders that are not logical, and when they do that, they set up situations where totally disparate groups of people are supposed to act as one. That is unrealistic, just as thinking that we need to insert ourselves into every foreign conflict is unrealistic.
Hopefully our experiences over the past couple of decades will lead to LESS intervention in overseas conflicts that really have nothing to do with our own national interests.
“Once Tito died and Yugoslavia was split up, the bloodshed began.”
No, Tito stopped the tribal violence for a short while. Serbs/Croats have been fighting Muslims for 500 years and that’s the short war. Serbs and Croats have been fighting each other for over 1000 years. It’s a revenge thing. You kill my family, and I’ll kill yours. Sound like the Middle East? You bet it does.
My personal favorites are the orange Camaro (70? 71?) and the black C2 Stingray. Two of the best looking cars Detroit ever built.
“No, Tito stopped the tribal violence for a short while.”
Obviously, I should have said that he stopped the tribal violence during the time that he was in office—but I think you know what I meant…
No, I did not know what you meant, and now I do. However, it was the other way around. The violence started again and then the breakup occurred. I’m half Serbian and I can’t fathom the insanity. Their tribal personalities are prevalent enough that there is no foreseeable end to the problems. At least the genocidal thugs that ran Yugoslavia at the break up were peacefully deposed. This is not the forum to get into why the Serbs elected the thugs, but there actually were understandable reasons for it. The Balkans and the Middle East are equally insane.
“The Balkans and the Middle East are equally insane.”
+1
My professor for the History of Russia & Eastern Europe always stated that the next major war would start in The Balkans. Hopefully he was wrong…
I think the Middle East is more likely, and I hope that doesn’t happen either.
It’s already begun. Israel and Hamas are clearly at war, although when it started is largely subject to interpretation. Iraq is clearly at war, likely now to be taken over by Al Qaida factions, and Syria is highly unstable.
The Balkans look pretty stable at the moment. As does the far east. I think North Korea is doing a lot of saber-rattling, but they lack the economy and the infrastructure to go back to war, and China, at whose economic teat they suckle, has openly stated that they will not support hostilities in the region. China is too intelligent to let North Korea create problems while they’re in the process of strengthening both their economy and their military.
And now, back to cars…
Whether we like it or not, the US has been a huge stabilizing force in the world until now.
Sorry for getting off track but Henry is an interesting study.