NEW YORK (AFP) - Former US President Bill Clinton blasted US foreign policy adopted in the wake of the September 11 attacks, arguing the United States cannot kill, jail or occupy all of its adversaries.
Our paradigm now seems to be: something terrible happened to us on September 11, and that gives us the right to interpret all future events in a way that everyone else in the world must agree with us," said Clinton, who spoke at a seminar of governance organized by Conference Board .
“And if they don’t, they can go straight to hell.”
The Democratic former president, who preceded George W. Bush at the White House, said that sooner or later the United States had to find a way to cooperate with the world at large.
“We can’t run,” Clinton pointed out. “If you got an interdependent world, and you cannot kill, jail or occupy all your adversaries, sooner or later you have to make a deal.”
He said he believed Washington overreacted to German and French opposition to US plans for military action against Iraq and suggested that the current administration had trouble juggling foreign and domestic issues.
“Since September 11, it looks like we can’t hold two guns at the same time,” Clinton said. “If you fight terrorism, you can’t make America a better place to be.”
This guy speaks sense sometimes when he isn’t otherwise preoccupied.
>>"Our paradigm now seems to be: something terrible happened to us on September 11, and that gives us the right to interpret all future events in a way that everyone else in the world must agree with us. And if they don't, they can go straight to hell." ...[Clinton] said that sooner or later the United States had to find a way to cooperate with the world at large.<<
Pity they make these intelligent comments after they have left office. i thought at first he was at some European venue (these comments would be lapped up by European politicians), but apparently he stated this on Larry King live. Interesting comments.
(hehe watch for some personality defamation now. :D )
You can say a lot with quotes.. I usually don't like Nietzsche, but this applies:
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster."
-- Nietzsche
MV: Clarifying for Abdali, he said, "try to liberate Tibet".. meaning China would be the adversary for us to kill and jail.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by myvoice: *
Holy smokes!!! I didn't know Tibet was considered one of our adversaries. Who do we have to kill or jail there?
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by spoon: *
You can say a lot with quotes.. I usually don't like Nietzsche, but this applies:
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster."
-- Nietzsche
MV: Clarifying for Abdali, he said, "try to liberate Tibet".. meaning China would be the adversary for us to kill and jail.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, I don't think very many people consider China an "adversary" in the sense Clinton undoubtedly used the word.
Holy smokes!!! I didn't know Tibet was considered one of our adversaries. Who do we have to kill or jail there?
[/QUOTE]
China swallows Tibet in broad day light with Dalai Lama screaming genocide from roof tops and poor pussies call it business as usual... I guess little kim will become from axis of evil to key ally ** too ** the moment he brings his big chappal out of the closet. yep! thats the way the ball bounces.
Clinton is right in the fact that you can't keep waging war after war, there needs to be a larger strategy; changes in foreign policy has to be part of that equation. The U.S. has been alienated by much of the Muslim world for years but it’s clearly hitting peak levels in recent times. The U.S. is going to have to regain their trust, in many cases gain their trust for the first time, it can do so through its actions in Iraq, pushing and enforcing a fair Israeli-Palestinian peace policy, and as I said before changes in policy. The fundamentalists will never accept the U.S. thus the use of military force will always have to remain an option, but an option that would seldom be needed if the majority of Muslims trusted and respected the U.S. Unfortunately some terror organizations are well organized and expansive, force will be necessary.
Yes, the Israeli-Palestinian situation is critical to the wider issue and the US would do well to help sort that out by putting its foot down with Israel and backing the Palestinian cause. If it does it in earnest and good faith it will diffuse alot of hostility around the world.
