Should Kissinger be prosecuted??

[Romo]

Got a question for all you political types. News is coming out that some countries are looking into prosecuting Henry Kissinger for some alleged involvement with dictators around the world.

Should public officials be held accountable for cooperating, condoning, supporting facist regimes? Should America allow its citizens to be prosecuted in World Courts or other countries courts? Consider that America has tried other countries dictators and was a big force that broughy Milosovic to trial in The Hague (world court)

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/RTGAMArticleHTMLTemplate/C/20020417/wkiss0417?hub=homeBN&tf=tgam%252Frealtime%252Ffullstory.html&cf=tgam/realtime/config-neutral&vg=BigAdVariableGenerator&slug=wkiss0417&date=20020417&archive=RTGAM&site=Front&ad_page_name=breakingnews

[Riggo-toni]

This is a good example of why the Pinochet's extradition was such a bad precedent. At some point when traveling abroad, some country is going to demand the extradition of a Kissinger or Thatcher.

With all the bad guys in the world, I'm not sure where one could draw the line. Being an idealist like Pres Carter and avoiding all questionable leaders simply made the US look weak, and encouraged more ruthless dictators into power. Which brings me back to my good ol' isolationist leanings, and the wish that we could be the world's largest Switzerland. I'd rather look apathetic than weak, and quite frankly, why should we care what scumbag rules some pissant 3rd world nation.

Now I'm ranting again...

[Tommy-the-Greek]

Riggo, We get about 60% of our oil from outside the US. Untill we are self sufficient when it comes to our energy needs, we can never be isolationists. The stone age wasn't ended due to a lack of stones. The oil age will not end due to a lack of oil. This country needs to use our technology and inventiveness to find/create alternate sources of energy. This should be our nation's number 1 priority. Then the arabs can have there oil and there deserts. And they can go back to being wandering nomads. I hate to send young american lives to protect our oil supply. Can you imagine how the geo-political landscape changes when we invent the new power source and all the jobs and money that goes with it?

[Romo]

Tommy's right you really cant be isolationist anymore. FYI the people Switzerland just voted in a referendum to join the UN. Their long lasting neutrality and isolation seems to be drifting away.

American isolationism was one of the reasons for the Great Depression and the rise of the Third Reich.

I agree also about the alternate energy thing. Sadly it seems the oil industry has too much power right now to let alternate energy really grow in America. Best way to solve this problem get the oil companies to find new energy sources so that they dont lose out when demand for oil drops.

[Tommy-the-Greek]

The big oil companies probably own the patents for all new energy alternatives.:mad:

[Darth Tater]

No, big-oil doesn't own the patents. Its because they don't that those who do develop one will get crushed of forced to sell :) (the MicroSoft precedent)

[Riggo-toni]

Originally posted by Romo
American isolationism was one of the reasons for the Great Depression and the rise of the Third Reich.


American protectionism under Smoot-Hawley and Hoover's (and later Roosevelt's) bad economic policies caused and then unnecessarily prolonged the Great Depression. Coolidge remarked to several confidants as he was leaving office that Hoover "would make a mess of things"

Roosevelt's one great contribution was his dragging the US into war. His embargo of Japan combined with secret illegal bombing of Nazi submarines and sales of arms to Britain achieved what he wanted - provoking an attack that would make our involvement inevitable.

Still, let's be honest here. Why should the US continue to pay for European defense, for example? While the EC is showering their citizens with all kinds of social programs, they are spending less than 1% of their GDPs on defense, and all the while they b!tch about "American Imperialism." Let the French and the Gremans pay for their own defense. NATO has outlived its usefulness, at least in its present form.

Arabs (and Venezualans for that matter) still need to sell oil as much as we need to buy it. Most of them are running deficits thanks to stupid, bloated social schemes they came up with back in the 70s during OPEC's glory days. Plus, the Caspian region has even more reserves than the Arabian peninsula. As ex-Soviet republics get their acts together, look for Arab regimes to falter in the face of an oil glut. Mark my words, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are ripe for Islamic revolutions. While Sunnis tend to be more moderate than the Iranian Shias, the Wahhabi are even more fanatical. What do you think the US will do then?

Romo, ever notice how much more these people hate Americans than Canadians. Face it, the more the US gets involved, the more everyone resents us for it.

[fansince62]

buying and selling is what international markets are for....comparative advantage and all that. the technology has been available for a while to move in a different direction. you want a change? then talk the consumer into changing his buying habits. it's all a question of how much you're willing to pay to internalize the cost of freedom.