Unwinnable wars, etc.

[Jon Ford]

Good point about the straits, Bill-- but what did you think about the rest 
of Roger's response? Overall,I didn't think he was far off the mark!

Jon





>From: "Bill Irwin" <billi@aloha.net>
>To: "Roger Baker" <rcbaker@eden.infohwy.com>
>CC: <austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net>
>Subject: Re: Unwinnable wars, etc.
>Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 09:29:06 -1000
>
>Roger wrote:
>Need we be reminded that one supertanker sunk in the Straits of Hormuz
>  by bin Laden's crew could bottle up Saudi exports for months.
>
>Not exactly true Roger. The Strait of Hormuz is 25 miles wide so would take
>a hell of a lot of sunken tankers to block it.  25 miles is a little to far
>for most artillery, missiles could do it but I would think the Air Force
>would be all over them.  Iran would have to enter the war and threaten
>tankers with missile attacks which would cause the insurance companies to
>cancel their shipping policies and with no insurance tankers would stay
>away.  Short of Iran entering the war I don't think there is any way to
>block the Strait of Hormuz.  For a chart of the Strait see this link.
>http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/reference/hormuz.html
>Ewie
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Roger Baker <rcbaker@eden.infohwy.com>
>To: <austin-ghetto-list@pairlist.net>
>Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001 12:45 PM
>Subject: Unwinnable wars, etc.
>
>
> >
> > "...this may be happening again, Bush having
> > signed off for the military to conduct an
> > unwinnable war..."
> >
> > Gratifying to see how quickly Mikey evolves from a fervent supporter of
> > Bushwar as a means of slaughtering Arab evildoers to a doubter -- toward
> > one who even suggests that bin Laden has snookered us into a trap with
> > the help of conditioned reflex Pentagon power-junkies.
> >
> > If Mike stumbles into the obvious, can the rest of the public be far
> > behind?
> >
> > Terrorism is a symptom (of decades of class oppression with the help of
> > the CIA, the Pentagon. etc.) and not the disease.  To me this is a
> > fascinating case of religion as a proxy for class conflict.
> >
> > Since Bush can't admit that his real underlying motivations are
> > nationalist corporate interests defined by the Chaney crowd, George has
> > to spin the war as a quasi-religious war of "Infinite Justice" against
> > "evildoers" in many unspecified countries.
> >
> > Evildoers are Bushspeak for the growing alliance of typically Islamic
> > victims of the corporate empire -- who are finally forming efficient
> > alliances capable of fighting back, thanks to CIA help and training. And
> > in accord with the classic behavior of tribal apes throughout history,
> > all sides march behind flags and religious banners to conceal the class
> > interests that really motivate their efforts.
> >
> > Amazing about this war is fast it is wearing thin as the public reads
> > the paper and realizes it is unwinnable and how rapidly it has
> > re-energized the peace movement.  It helps that Bush utters pure
> > gibberish changing day by day about the details -- like who we are
> > fighting and to what ends.
> >
> > History repeats itself first as tragedy and then as farce, which recalls
> > the rather more successful efforts of George Senior in his Gulf War of
> > 1990 (?).
> >
> > But this time, the international bourgeoisie found it easy to imagine
> > themselves in an office in the WTC and appeared initially united behind
> > kicking bin Laden's ass.  But the international brotherhood of the
> > wealthy is weak glue when it comes to national squabbling over Persian
> > Gulf oil.
> >
> > Need we be reminded that one supertanker sunk in the Straits of Hormuz
> > by bin Laden's crew could bottle up Saudi exports for months. Or that
> > world oil production will peak well within the decade and the price will
> > then soar, despite the world economic slump reducing oil  price at the
> > moment due to demand falling below amount Arabia wants to sell to prop
> > up its monarchy.
> >
> > Way it looks to me, anyhow. -- Roger
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>


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