Posted by MoparNorm on Monday, June 09, 2003 at 10:13PM :
In Reply to: Yep! posted by Dave Jensen on Monday, June 09, 2003 at 5:25AM :
Dave,
Nothing wrong with "beneficial dissent" as you call it, except in my journey from leftist radical to conservative constitutionalist, I've seen much dissent being used for nothing more than obstructing true reforms and freedom. Not everything requires a 'grey' answer, there actually are black and white issues with cut and dried answers. The french were not exercising their right to dissent, they were protecting their butts and their oil deals, weapons arangements and technical support of Saddam. Everything they claimed that the mean 'ol USA might try, the french were already guilty of committing. Sure Lafayett was a good guy who happened to be french, but that was 230 years ago, near the end of the french global empire, they are a has-been country and have not yet gotten over it. This was a last gasp ploy for them to counter Englands power in the European Union. They actually hoped to create a rift in the EU and therefore take a leading role in defining Europe in the 21st century.
Knee-jerk American liberal polices and positions of the last century are no longer valid in this ever changing world, but I'd be glad to sit on the Dodge Tailgate, drink that beer with you, and explain it to you! I love a good debate and other points of view, but as the saying goes, when we have troops in the field, the debate ends at the waters edge.
MoparNorm (actually Jonas)
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