Friday, January 11, 2008
'You don't have to be friends to talk'
Fred Kaplan notes that we talked to the Soviets during the Cold War to avoid accidental war. He says we can and should be talking with the Iranians now to avoid an accidental war. He's right. But Bush isn't a flexible Reagan (or a Truman or an Eisenhower etc.). So we won't. ... Here's a good look at how maritime incidents have caused so many of our wars. The cynics among us (cough, cough, cough) might think the administration is pushing for a 'Remember the Maine! or Gulf of Tonkin incident. But Walter Russell Mead is worried Iranians aren't aware of what also sparked 1812, WWI and WWII. ...
Fred Kaplan notes that we talked to the Soviets during the Cold War to avoid accidental war. He says we can and should be talking with the Iranians now to avoid an accidental war. He's right. But Bush isn't a flexible Reagan (or a Truman or an Eisenhower etc.). So we won't. ... Here's a good look at how maritime incidents have caused so many of our wars. The cynics among us (cough, cough, cough) might think the administration is pushing for a 'Remember the Maine! or Gulf of Tonkin incident. But Walter Russell Mead is worried Iranians aren't aware of what also sparked 1812, WWI and WWII. ...
